| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| eidetic |
pertaining to or designating the ability to recall images in almost perfect detail. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| stately |
dignified. |