| abash |
to cause to feel embarrassed, uneasy, or ashamed. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| 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. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |