| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| remonstrate |
to say in opposition, protest, or objection. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |