| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| extrude |
to force out; expel. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |