abjure
formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
abstemious
marked by temperance in indulgence
acumen
shrewdness shown by keen insight
antebellum
belonging to a period before a war especially the American Civil War
auspicious
auguring favorable circumstances and good luck
bellicose
having or showing a ready disposition to fight
bowdlerize
edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
chicanery
the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
chromosome
a threadlike strand of DNA in the cell nucleus that carries the genes in a linear order
churlish
having a bad disposition; surly
circumlocution
an indirect way of expressing something
circumnavigate
travel around, either by plane or ship
deciduous
(of plants and shrubs) shedding foliage at the end of the growing season
enervate
weaken mentally or morally
enfranchise
grant freedom to; as from slavery or servitude
equinox
either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of equal length
euro
the basic monetary unit of most members of the European Union (introduced in 1999); in 2002 twelve European nations (Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Austria, Finland) adopted the euro as their basic unit of money and abandoned their traditional currencies
evanescent
tending to vanish like vapor
quasar
a starlike object that may send out radio waves and other forms of energy; many have large red shifts
quotidian
found in the ordinary course of events
reciprocal
concerning each of two or more persons or things; especially given or done in return
reparation
something done or paid in expiation of a wrong
respiration
a single complete act of breathing in and out
sanguine
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
soliloquy
speech you make to yourself
subjugate
make subservient; force to submit or subdue
suffragist
an advocate of the extension of voting rights (especially to women)
supercilious
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
taxonomy
a classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure or origin etc
tectonic
pertaining to the structure or movement of the earth's crust
tempestuous
characterized by violent emotions or behavior
thermodynamics
the branch of physics concerned with the conversion of different forms of energy
totalitarian
characterized by a government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control
unctuous
unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech
usurp
seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession
vehement
marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid
vortex
a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
winnow
the act of separating grain from chaff
wrought
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
yeoman
in former times was free and cultivated his own land
ziggurat
a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians
