| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| halcyon |
tranquil; peaceful; calm. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |