| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |