| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |