Truculent- Fierce, cruel, savage

Extenuating- Mitigating/lessening the severity of

Novice- Beginner/Apprentice

Venerable- Respected because of age.

Incipient- Initial stage/ coming into being

Congenial- Pleasant/agreeable

Ad hoc- Improvised, makeshift solution designed for a specific problem or task, non- generalizable, and which cannot be adapted to other purposes

Status quo- Current situation

Subjugate- Bring under control/ dominate (political or military)

Exigent- Urgent, pressing, demanding

Salubrious- Healthy

Purported- Falsely claim to be something

Dulcet- Sweet/soothing

Epigram- Brief/clever/memorable statement

Saturnine- Slow/gloomy/mysterious

Gourmand- Person who takes great pleasure in food

Flip- Rude/dismissive

Osculate- To touch the surface of a curve/tangent

Erratic- Crazy/Unpredictable