| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| 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. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |