| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| indemnity |
insurance against damage, loss, or liability. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |