| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| malaise |
a state or condition of feeling generally unwell, mentally depressed, sluggish, or uneasy. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |