| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| fulminate |
to vehemently denounce or criticize something. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| unadulterated |
unmixed with or undiluted by additives or extraneous elements; pure; complete. |