| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |