| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| fulminate |
to vehemently denounce or criticize something. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| occlude |
to close or obstruct (a passage or opening, one's vision, or the like). |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |