| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| bellicose |
easily incited to quarrel or fight; belligerent. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |