| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| 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. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| eidetic |
pertaining to or designating the ability to recall images in almost perfect detail. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| 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. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |