| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |