| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |