| arbiter |
someone who has the authority to decide an issue or settle a dispute. |
| avocation |
a secondary occupation, usually one pursued for recreation; hobby. |
| compile |
to gather information together to form one written work. |
| experimentation |
the act, process, or practice of running tests or trials. |
| heretofore |
prior to this time; before now. |
| ingratiate |
to seek or secure another's favor or approval for (oneself). |
| jocose |
inclined to joke; jovial; merry. |
| obtuse |
not keen or quick to notice, feel, or comprehend; dull or insensitive. |
| portend |
to serve as a sign or warning of; bode. |
| retard |
to cause (growth, development, or the like) to be slow or incomplete; stunt. |
| sacrosanct |
so important or revered as to be beyond any alteration or criticism. |
| secular |
of or concerning the world and material concerns as opposed to religious or spiritual concerns; temporal. |
| strident |
harsh-sounding or loud; raucous; grating. |
| tenuous |
having little substance, support, or significance; flimsy; weak. |
| vertigo |
a sensation of unsteadiness or dizziness, such that one's surroundings seem to be whirling around. |