| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| immaculate |
not dirty; completely clean. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |