a scheme or plot; a group of plotters

to inveigle; to coax through flattery

authoritative permission or approval

eating and drinking in moderation

to publicly praise or promote

to engage in reconnaissance

thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals

having a sour or bitter taste or character

sealed; airtight

to hinder; to avert

transparent; gauzy

inhabitant; one who frequents a place

an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

sweetly flowing, often used to describe a voice

to gather and save; to store up

a rude or insensitive person

trickery or subterfuge

aversion; dislike

to make smooth; to rub to a shine

a new word, expression, or usage

disparaging or descriptive word or phrase

baffled; at a loss for what to say or do

occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

sycophant; flatterer

fleeting; passing quickly; brief

difficult or bitter situation

labyrinthine; complex

the state or act of extending or being swollen out of shape

the point nearest the earth in an orbit of a body

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

to stun, baffle, or amaze

marked by, feeling, or expressing profound awe and respect

sinister; ominous

the parading of learning; excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

someone practicing self-denial

marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth

to flatter or praise excessively

a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

to fail to honor a commitment; to break a promise

a person who leads a life of pleasure and luxury

to laugh loudly

glowing and enthusiastic praise

tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing

to go; to proceed

meddlesome; pushy in one's services

a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead

to provide support

exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

to deceive, beguile, or hoodwink

to reprove; to express warning or disapproval

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

characterized by motion

to remove obscenity, especially from a book

astral; relating to stars or constellations

something that signals what is to come

soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh

one who hates women

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

to coddle

lazy; listless

a song or poem of grief

rout; fiasco; complete failure

crude; awkward

one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly food and drink

outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time

to drink deeply

an illusion; originally, an imaginary fire-breathing monster

relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter

diametrically opposed; as in antithesis

brief and concise in wording

a path to go out; the right to go out

capable of being shaped or formed; tractable

intended to teach or instruct

the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion

a piece of broken pottery or glass

favorable

enlightening

devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses

pompous speech or expression

recklessly wasteful; extravagant

to draw; to outline in detail

a sermon or morally instructive lecture

to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor

something enormous; a gigantic creature

traveling from place to place

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

an overabundance; a surplus

unnecessary; uncalled for

to make or become thin or less dense

typical or standard specimen; model

digressive; passing from one topic to another

provincial; narrow-minded

one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions

one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

to cut off abruptly

cheerful; confident; optimistic

a person who investigates citizens' complaints

practical rather than idealistic

delicate; insubstantial or tenuous