Descriptionary

brazen adj. (BRAY zun) bold in a rude way; impu­dent. Everyone was shocked at the brazen remarks the protesters made to the president.

brevity n. (BREV i tee) conciseness; the quality of being brief and to the point. We only have thirty min­utes to make our pitch, so brevity is paramount.

broach vb. (BROACH) to open a topic for discus­sion. At the meeting, we must broach the issue of higher taxes with delicacy.

brouhaha n. (BROO haha) an uproar. The finding of corruption caused a brouhaha in the Senate.

brusque adj. (BRUSK) blunt, curt, or rough in man­ner. The sales clerk was tired and had had a bad day, so she was understandably brusque with us.

bureaucracy n. (byoo ROK ruh see) any govern­ment administration, particularly that which is inef­ficient. To satisfy government bureaucracy, we had to sign seventeen different forms.

burgeon vb. (BUR jun) to grow and proliferate. With interest rates kept low, the economy tends to burgeon.

cache n. (KASH) a stockpile or hiding place for the storage of food or other items. We built a food cache up on stilts so the bears couldn't reach it.

cacophonous adj. (kuh KOF uh nus) jarring or unpleasant sounding. The rock band always made a cacophonous racket whenever they tuned their instruments.

cagey adj. (KAY jee) very careful and shrewd and difficult to fool. A fox is too cagey to be easily caught in a trap.

cajole vb. (kuh JOHL) to persuade through flattery or repeated lighthearted requests. A great salesman knows how to cajole his customers into making a purchase.

calibrate vb. (KAL i brayt) to adjust for accuracy. The butcher was required by law to calibrate his scales.

callous adj. (KAL us) hard and unfeeling. The sol­dier's rough treatment of the prisoner was particu­larly callous.

callow adj. (KAL oh) immature; juvenile. The teen­ager was quick to judge others but was too callow to see his own faults.

camaraderie n. (kahm RAH duh ree) friendly rap­port. After winning the game, the team shared a great camaraderie.

candor n. (KAN dur) complete honesty; frankness. In all candor, I think your haircut looks goofy.

can of worms, open a to bring up a difficult or complex problem. Similar to "open a Pandora's box." Dress codes? Let's not open that can of worms tonight.

capitalism n. (KAP i tuh liz um) an economic sys­tem allowing private citizens to pursue their own enterprises for private gain; the free enterprise system. America's strength is due not only to its diversity but to its system of capitalism.

capitulate vb. (kuh PICH yoo layt) to give in or acquiesce; to agree to terms. It was a long battle, but the opposing party was finally persuaded to capitulate.

capricious adj. (kuh PRISH us) unpredictable; by whim. Maine has some of the most capricious weather in the country.