| abysmal |
of vast extent; unmeasurable; extreme. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |