PSAT 17

repartee

A quick witty reply; spirited conversation.

ribald

Vulgar or indecent language.

salubrious

Favorable to health.

ruminate

To muse upon.

sangfroid

Extraordinary composure in the face of danger.

saturnine

Sullen, gloomy, depressed.

sylvan

Wooded; forest-like.

synergy

The combined force of two distinct elements that is more powerful than each alone.

temporize

To compromise; to draw something out in order to gain time.

timorous

Fearful; easily frightened.

usury

Lending money at a high interest rate.

vacuous

Empty; lacking intelligence.

veneer

Façade; coating; outward appearance.

verdant

Covered with green plants; leafy.

vicarious

Acting for another; sharing in an experience of another through the imagination.

wont

Custom; habit.

zephyr

A gentle breeze.

aphasia

Loss of speech.

arrant

Notoriously without moderation.

claque

An audience paid to clap; an obsequious audience.