| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| corporeal |
having to do with a physical body; bodily. |
| crass |
lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |