| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |