| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| eidetic |
pertaining to or designating the ability to recall images in almost perfect detail. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |