| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |