| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |
| salvo |
the firing of guns or other firearms simultaneously or in succession, especially as a salute. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |