| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| agog |
highly excited and full of anticipation. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |