| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |