| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |