| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| malaise |
a state or condition of feeling generally unwell, mentally depressed, sluggish, or uneasy. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| salvo |
the firing of guns or other firearms simultaneously or in succession, especially as a salute. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |