| coroner |
a public officer employed to investigate by inquest any death not thought to have occurred by natural causes. |
| debit |
an amount of money taken out of or owed on an account, or the record of that amount. |
| disputatious |
inclined to quarrel or provoke argument. |
| machination |
(usually plural) elaborate or devious schemes. |
| mien |
one's manner or bearing. |
| ominous |
giving a sign of future evil or trouble. |
| parley |
a discussion, especially between opponents or enemies, as to establish terms of truce. |
| particularity |
precise or detailed character. |
| pessimistic |
feeling in a negative way about things; expecting the worst to happen. |
| pivotal |
critically important or crucial; on which something is contingent. |
| retaliate |
to strike back; take revenge. |
| retention |
the act or process of maintaining the possession or use of. |
| schism |
a division into factions with opposing beliefs, especially in a Christian church. |
| sinewy |
of sinew, or sinewlike; strong; tough. |
| waiver |
the intentional relinquishing of a right, claim, or privilege, or a suspension of an existing rule or policy. |