| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| electuary |
a drug mixed with honey, syrup, or the like to form a paste to be smeared on the teeth or gums of a sick animal. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| noisome |
offensive or disgusting, especially in smell; foul. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |