| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| munificent |
having or showing great generosity. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| Sabbatarian |
one who observes the Sabbath on Saturday, as Jews and certain Christians. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |