| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| disheveled |
not neat; messy. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |