| allusion |
an indirect reference to or mention of something. |
| beneficiary |
one who receives or is formally designated to receive money or property, as from a will or insurance policy. |
| churl |
a rude or vulgar person. |
| commensurate |
of equal measure, as extent or duration. |
| counterbalance |
to balance or offset with an equal force or influence; counterpoise. |
| incandescent |
giving off light as a result of being heated. |
| indecisive |
not definite or conclusive. |
| infinitesimal |
of a thing or quantity, too small to be measured or calculated. |
| inscrutable |
impossible to comprehend or interpret; mysterious. |
| labyrinthine |
complex and intricate to the point of being puzzling. |
| maternity |
the state of being a mother; motherhood. |
| patronize |
to act in an offensively superior manner toward. |
| pessimism |
the belief that events will turn out badly; tendency to expect the worst. |
| progenitor |
an ancestor or forebear. |
| veer |
to change direction; turn quickly. |