| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| indemnity |
insurance against damage, loss, or liability. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |