| caucus |
a private meeting of leaders of a political party to choose candidates or determine policy, or such a group itself. |
| contraband |
goods banned by law from being imported or exported. |
| dossier |
a set of papers or documents that provide detailed information on a particular person or subject. |
| ferment |
a state of upset or fast change. |
| grandiloquence |
speech that is pretentious, pompous, or excessively mannered. |
| incantation |
the words or sounds that are uttered or chanted as part of a magical ritual or spell, or the act of uttering such words or sounds. |
| lieu |
the place formerly occupied by something or someone. |
| parody |
a humorous imitation in print, music, or performance of a serious person, work of art, or publication. |
| poignant |
deeply touching; arousing strong emotion, especially sadness or sympathy; piercing; penetrating. |
| preponderance |
superiority in amount, strength, significance, weight, or the like. |
| procure |
to get or get hold of by effort; obtain. |
| sunder |
to tear, force, or break apart; divide. |
| vertigo |
a sensation of unsteadiness or dizziness, such that one's surroundings seem to be whirling around. |
| vouch |
to promise to be true, real, or correct (usually followed by "for"). |
| waylay |
to attack or accost unexpectedly after lying in wait for. |