fawning = courting favor by cringing and flattering; V.
fawn: exhibit affection as a dog; seek favor or attention by obsequiousness
allegory = story, play, or picture in which characters are
used as symbols; fable
retain = keep; maintain possession of; employ (esp. a
lawyer or advisor); N. retainer: servant; fee paid to retain an advisor
mimicry = imitation
extrinsic = external; not essential or inherent; extraneous;
OP. intrinsic
duration = length of time something lasts
truism = self-evident truth
absolve = pardon (an offense)
arsenal = storage place for military equipment
centrifugal = radiating; departing from the center
alms = money or goods given to the poor
shrew = scolding woman; very small mouselike animal
sordid = filthy; foul; base; vile; Ex. sordid bed/story
franchise = right or privilege granted by authority; right
to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory
enhance = increase; make greater (as in value, reputation,
or usefulness); improve
anesthetic = substance that removes sensation with or
without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia
decadence = decay; fall to a lower level (of morality, civilization, or art); ADJ. decadent

innocuous = harmless
minatory = menacing; threatening
insurrection = rebellion; uprising
evanescent = fleeting; vanishing; soon disappearing; V.
evanesce
hoard = stockpile; accumulate for future use; N: supply
stored for future use
stealth = action of moving secretly or unseen; slyness;
sneakiness; secretiveness; ADJ. stealthy
incognito = with identity concealed; using an assumed
name; ADJ.
deflect = turn aside; turn away from a straight course
refectory = dining hall; room where meals are served (in
a school)
exacerbate = worsen; aggravate; embitter
diverse = differing in some characteristics (from each
other); various; N. diversity: variety; dissimilitude; lack
of resemblance
ovation = enthusiastic applause
plane = carpenter.s tool for smoothing and leveling
wood; V. CF. flat
verbatim = word for word; in the same words; repeating
the actual words exactly
flagrant = conspicuously wicked, bad, or offensive; blatant;
outrageous
impale = pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the
spear