| aerate |
to expose to the circulation or chemical action of air in order to ventilate or cleanse. |
| ascendant |
moving upward; rising. |
| auspice |
(usually plural) sponsorship or protection; patronage. |
| autopsy |
a medical examination of a dead body to find the cause of death. |
| brazen |
shameless; bold. |
| canvass |
to conduct a survey of; poll. |
| circumstantial |
relevant but not essential; incidental. |
| fickle |
quickly changing without reason or warning, especially in affection or allegiance; variable or capricious. |
| fraudulent |
characterized by or based on the use of deceit or trickery. |
| fresco |
the art of painting on wet plaster with colors dissolved in water or limewater, or a picture produced by this method. |
| pessimism |
the belief that events will turn out badly; tendency to expect the worst. |
| retinue |
a group of attendants or other employees who accompany a prominent person. |
| secular |
of or concerning the world and material concerns as opposed to religious or spiritual concerns; temporal. |
| suborn |
to induce (someone) to commit a crime or other corrupt deed. |
| undermine |
to gradually, secretly, or imperceptibly weaken and destroy. |