| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |