| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| Saturnalia |
an occasion of unrestrained revelry. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |