| caustic |
bitingly critical. |
| dissertation |
a formal and usually lengthy exposition in speech or writing, especially a detailed report of research by a candidate for a doctoral degree. |
| heretofore |
prior to this time; before now. |
| intemperance |
lack of restraint in the indulgence of an appetite, especially the consumption of alcohol. |
| maul |
to hurt by beating or through other rough treatment. |
| platitude |
an overused, dull, or trivial remark; hackneyed expression; cliché. |
| profusion |
an abundant supply or display. |
| recluse |
a person who lives in voluntary isolation from others. |
| recumbent |
lying down; reclining. |
| refract |
to bend (rays or waves of light, heat, sound, or the like) in passing (them) obliquely from one medium into another which transmits them at a different speed. |
| sensory |
of or pertaining to hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, or touching. |
| Spartan |
(usually lower case) characterised by simplicity and austerity. |
| stalemate |
any situation in which a further action, offer, or the like is impossible or unlikely; deadlock. |
| stoic |
showing little or no reaction to painful or pleasant experiences; unmoved; impassive. |
| turbid |
clouded or murky because of stirred-up particles or sediment; muddy. |