| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| 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. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |