| alfresco |
in the open air; outdoors. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| parturient |
giving birth or about to give birth; in labor. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |