| aggregate |
a sum, combination, or composite of separable elements. |
| appose |
to place next to or side by side; juxtapose. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| occlude |
to close or obstruct (a passage or opening, one's vision, or the like). |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| redoubtable |
inspiring fear; formidable. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |