| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |