| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |