safeguard | n. one who, or that which, defends or protects; defense; protection |
sagacity | n. quality of being sagacious; quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions; keenness of discernment; shrewdness |
savant | n. scholar; man of learning or science; one eminent for learning |
scarlet | a. of a brilliant red color |
scribble | v. write or draw carelessly and in a hurry; doodle; meaningless marks and lines |
secure | v. free from fear, care, or anxiety; not have reason to doubt |
sentry | n. soldier placed on guard; guard |
session | n. meeting devoted to a particular activity; time for school to hold classes |
shepherd | n. a herder of sheep; someone who keeps the sheep together in a flock |
siege | n. seat, especially a royal seat; throne; rank; grade; sitting before a fortified place; surrounding or investing of a place by army |
sieve | n. device to separate larger objects from smaller objects, or to separate solid objects from a liquid; utensil for separating; coarse basket |
singular | a. unique; extraordinary; being only one |
slovenly | a. messy and dirty; careless and excessively casual |
sneer | v. show contempt by turning up the nose, or by a particular facial expression; speak derisively; show mirth awkwardly |
sobriquet | n. nickname; familiar name for person, typically shortened version of given name |
solicitous | a. worried or concerned; full of desire; expressing care or concern |
speculate | v. assume to be true without conclusive evidence; engage in buying or selling of a commodity for profit |
splendor | n. magnificence; Great light or luster; brilliance; grandeur |
sprawl | v. extend; stretch; spread; sit or lie with the body and limbs spread out awkwardly |
spurn | v. reject disdainfully or contemptuously; scorn |
stifle | v. interrupt or cut off voice; keep in or hold back; suppress; conceal or hide |
strident | a. loud and harsh; insistent; high-pitched; rough-sounding |
stymie | v. present obstacle; stump; cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck |
subjective | a. occurring or taking place in person's mind rather than external world; unreal |
subterfuge | n. pretense; something intended to misrepresent |
succinct | a. brief or compact; by clear, precise expression in few words |
succumb | v. submit to an overpowering force; yield to an overwhelming desire; give up or give in |
superfluous | a. being beyond what is required or sufficient |
surveillance | n. watching; inspection; close observation of a person or group; supervision |
tacit | a. indicated or understood without expressed directly; not speaking; silent |
taciturn | a. silent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converse |
tactics | n. strategy; policy; plan for attaining a particular goal |
tarnish | v. make dirty or spotty; stain; dull the luster of; discolor, especially by exposure to air or dirt |
tedious | a. tiresome by reason of length, slowness, or dullness; progressing very slowly |
teem | v. be abuzz; be full of; move in large numbers |
tether | v. tie with rope; fasten or restrict with rope or chain |
theme | n. subject of conversation or discussion; topic; essay |
thicket | n. wood or collection of trees, shrubs |
threadbare | a. worn through till threads show; wearing old, shabby clothing; shabby and poor |
tract | n. expanse of land or water; system of organs that perform a specialized function; leaflet or pamphlet |
transition | n. going from one state of action to another |
tribute | n. payment in money made by one ruler or nation; tax; mark of respect; praiseworthy quality |
trident | n. a spear with three prongs |
turbulent | a. characterized by unrest or disorder |
tycoon | n. wealthy and powerful businessperson or industrialist; magnate |
unconscionable | a. lacking conscience; greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation |
undecipherable | a. not easily deciphered; not able to be read or understood |
underhanded | a. short-handed; clandestine; marked by deception |
underwrite | v. write under something else; subscribe; assume financial responsibility for; guarantee against failure |
ungainly | a. awkward; lacking grace in movement or posture |
unpronounceable | a. impossible or difficult to pronounce correctly; very difficult to pronounce correctly |
utensil | n. instrument, implement, or container for practical use, especially in kitchen or laboratory |
variegated | a. streaked, spotted, or marked with a variety of color; very colorful |
vaudeville | n. a variety show with songs and comic acts etc. |
velocity | n. rapidity or speed of motion; swiftness |
vicinity | n. state of being near in space or relationship; proximity |
vignette | n. unbordered picture, often a portrait; decorative design placed at beginning or end of book or chapter; short literary sketch |
vindication | n. act of vindicating, or state of being vindicated; defense; evidence or statements that justify a claim or belief |
violate | v. treat in a violent manner; abuse; do violence to; disturb; interrupt |
vocation | n. a person's employment or main occupation; career or profession |
wage | v. hazard on the event of a contest; stake; engage in, as a contest; adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; hire; employ |
whittle | v. reduce or eliminate gradually, with knife; cut small bits off |
wither | v. shrivel; decay; lose freshness, vigor, or vitality; loss of moisture |
xenophobia | n. exaggerated or abnormal fear of strangers or foreigners |
zephyr | n. gentle breeze; west wind; any of various soft light fabrics, yarns, or garments |
zest | n. a piece of orange or lemon peel, used to give flavor to liquor; something that gives or enhances a pleasant taste; appetizer |
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