| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |