| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |