| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |