| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| halcyon |
tranquil; peaceful; calm. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| unadulterated |
unmixed with or undiluted by additives or extraneous elements; pure; complete. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |