| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| jubilate |
to feel joyful; rejoice; exult. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |