| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| uxorious |
excessively or foolishly devoted to one's wife, and often thereby submissive to her. |