| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| corporeal |
having to do with a physical body; bodily. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |