| auspice |
(usually plural) sponsorship or protection; patronage. |
| coerce |
to persuade or pressure (a person) to do something by using threats, intimidation, or the like. |
| epilogue |
a short concluding section to a literary work, often summarizing what later becomes of the characters. |
| incantation |
the words or sounds that are uttered or chanted as part of a magical ritual or spell, or the act of uttering such words or sounds. |
| inclement |
of weather, violent or disagreeable. |
| indisputable |
not subject to being challenged or denied; unquestionable. |
| insidious |
dangerous through cunning, subtlety, and underhandedness. |
| jurisdiction |
the right or authority to interpret and administer the law. |
| omnivorous |
living on a diet of both plant and animal food. |
| paraphrase |
a restatement of a passage or text in somewhat different words so as to simplify, clarify, or amplify. |
| portly |
rather fat; stout. |
| putative |
widely thought to be such; reputed; supposed. |
| restive |
unable to remain at rest; impatient or ill at ease, especially under restraint. |
| skepticism |
distrust or disbelief, or a general tendency to doubt and question. |
| stratum |
a level in a social hierarchy. |