| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| indemnity |
insurance against damage, loss, or liability. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |