| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| 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. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |