| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |