| abrogate |
to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority. |
| aleatory |
pertaining to or depending on luck, chance, or contingency. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| remonstrate |
to say in opposition, protest, or objection. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |