| animus |
a feeling or attitude of enmity. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |