*untitled (beta)

palaver \puh-LAV-uhr; puh-LAH-vur\, noun:
1. Idle talk
2. Talk intended to beguile or deceive.
3. A parley usually between persons of different backgrounds or cultures or levels of sophistication; a talk; hence, a public conference and deliberation.

intransitive verb:
1. To talk idly.

transitive verb:
1. To flatter; to cajole.

[Origin: 1720–30; < Pg palavra word, speech, talk < LL parabola parable]

meticulous \muh-TIK-yuh-luhs\, adjective:
Extremely or excessively careful about details.

[Origin: 1525–35; < L metīculōsus full of fear, fearful, equiv. to metī- for metū- (s. of metus fear) + -culōsus, extracted from perīculōsus perilous]

dapple \DAP-uhl\, noun:
1. A small contrasting spot or blotch.
2. A mottled appearance, especially of the coat of an animal (as a horse).

transitive verb:
1. To mark with patches of a color or shade; to spot.

intransitive verb:
1. To become dappled.

adjective:
1. Marked with contrasting patches or spots; dappled.

[Origin: 1545–55; prob. back formation from dappled]

tutelage \TOO-tuhl-ij; TYOO-\, noun:
1. The act of guarding or protecting; guardianship; protection.
2. The state of being under a guardian or tutor.
3. Instruction, especially individual instruction accompanied by close attention and guidance.

[Origin: 1595–1605; < L tūtél(a) guardianship (deriv. of tuérī to watch; see tuition) + -age]

laconic \luh-KON-ik\, adjective:
Using or marked by the use of a minimum of words; brief and pithy; brusque.

[Origin: 1580–90; < L Lacōnicus < Gk Lakōnikós Laconian, equiv. to Lákōn a Laconian + -ikos -ic]