| acolyte |
a person who assists a clergyman in religious services, especially Roman Catholic. |
| catechism |
a summary of the principles of a religion, especially Christianity, in the form of questions and answers. |
| detonate |
to explode or cause to explode. |
| discontinuity |
lack of coherence or logical sequence. |
| felon1 |
a person who has committed a serious crime, such as murder, rape, or burglary, as opposed to a misdemeanor. |
| insolence |
rude or impudent behavior or speech. |
| invoke |
to call out to (a god, muse, or the like) for help, support, protection, or inspiration. |
| lewd |
characterized by vulgarity or offensively explicit sexual references; bawdy. |
| ornamentation |
decoration; embellishment. |
| pretext |
a false reason or claim put forward to mask one's true motive or aim. |
| rebuff |
to reject, repel, block, or set back. |
| reciprocity |
a mutual interchange of privileges or favors between two nations, groups, or institutions. |
| reverent |
characterized by, showing, or feeling great respect and awe mingled with love. |
| tithe |
an amount of money, produce, or goods equal in value to a tenth of one's income, given or paid as a contribution or tax, especially to a church. |
| whimsy |
an odd, fanciful, or capricious notion, or such notions collectively. |