| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| regicide |
the murderer of a king. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |