| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| glut |
a greater supply or amount than is needed. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| trabeated |
using horizontal beams or lintels as supports instead of arches. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |