| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |