| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| beatify |
to admire or exalt as superior. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |