| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| risible |
provoking laughter; laughable or funny. |
| Saturnalia |
an occasion of unrestrained revelry. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |
| trabeated |
using horizontal beams or lintels as supports instead of arches. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |