| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| immaculate |
not dirty; completely clean. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| pedagogy |
the act, process, or profession of teaching. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |