| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| corollary |
a readily drawn conclusion; deduction or inference. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |