| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| occlude |
to close or obstruct (a passage or opening, one's vision, or the like). |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |