| A | B |
|---|
| affront | an offensive act or word; an offense to one's dignity or self-respect |
| alcove | a partially enclosed extension of a room or part of a room |
| blanch | to take the color out of, to bleach, to make white |
| champion | to defend or to support |
| compress | to contract, to reduce in size or volume |
| convivial | fond of good company and of festivity |
| dilation | expansion |
| elegiac | mournful, expressing sorrow |
| exculpate | to clear from blame or guilt |
| fiasco | a total failure and a mess |
| heedless | disregarding, thoughtless |
| incisive | very perceptive, clear and to the point |
| instigation | urging, provocation; initiation |
| interloper | one who interferes in the affairs or with the rights of others |
| labyrinthine | like a maze, very convoluted and intricate |
| molt | to shed an outer covering such as feathers or skin periodically |
| pariah | an outcast |
| philanderer | one who engages in love affairs lightly or insincerely |
| predisposed | inclined toward something in advance |
| quench | to extinguish, to put out; to relieve with liquid |
| reprobate | to disapprove of; a person with no moral principles, a depraved individual |
| salutary | promoting good health or beneficial effects |
| tenacious | persistent, holding fast to a position |
| tenuous | flimsy, barely attached |
| unfrock | to deprive the right to be in a profession (usually applies to a priest) |
