1. Seer
• A person of supposed supernatural insight who sees visions of the future.
Usage: A seer had foretold that the earl would assume the throne.
2. Cross hairs
• A pair of fine wires crossing at right angles at the focus of an optical instrument or gunsight, for use in positioning, aiming, or measuring.
Usage: I raised the rifle and got the deer in the cross hairs.
3. Snowball
• Increase rapidly in size, intensity, or importance.
Usage: The campaign was snowballing.
4. Proscribe
• Forbid, especially by law.
Usage: Strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces.
5. Tenacious
• Tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely.
Usage: A tenacious grip.
6. Doyen
• The most respected or prominent person in a particular field.
Usage: He became the doyen of British physicists.
7. Stricture
• A restriction on a person or activity.
Usage: The strictures imposed by the British Board of Film Censors.
8. Indictment
• A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.
Usage: An indictment for conspiracy.
• A thing that serves to illustrate that a system or situation is bad and deserves to be condemned.
Usage: These rapidly escalating crime figures are an indictment of our society.
9. Lacuna
• An unfilled space; a gap.
Usage: The journal has filled a lacuna in Middle Eastern studies.
10. Parrot
• Repeat mechanically.
Usage: Encouraging students to parrot back information.
11. Dodder
• Tremble or totter, typically because of old age.
Usage: That doddering old fool.
12. Deliberation
• Long and careful consideration or discussion.
• Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and reason as opposed to power-struggle, creativity, or dialog. Group decisions are generally made after deliberation through a vote or consensus of those involved.
Usage: After much deliberation we arrived at a compromise.
13. Entente
• A friendly understanding or informal alliance between states or factions.
Usage: The emperor hoped to bring about an entente with Russia.
