| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| bilge |
the rounded part of a ship's hull between the bottom and the sides. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| epicene |
sharing the traits of both sexes. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| recrudesce |
to become active again or break out anew, as a disease or harmful condition. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |