| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |