A person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions.
How does he gain by fortressing himself and his administration away from critics, skeptics, and questioners?

Of, forming, or situated at the end or extremity of something.
a terminal date

The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.
the metabolism of fatty acids in the kidney

Unfriendly; antagonistic.
a hostile audience

Arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate.
I was intrigued by your question

Existing or available in large quantities; plentiful.
there was abundant evidence to support the theory

A vertebrate animal of a class that includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises. They are distinguished by having a dry scaly skin and typically laying soft-shelled eggs on land.
He's really a wildlife photographer; to get his shots, he turns into an adventurer who has learned much about reptiles - snakes being his favorite cold-blooded creature.

A thing that completes or brings to perfection.
the libretto proved a perfect complement to the music

Very skilled or proficient at something.
he is adept at cutting through red tape

Divide by cutting or slicing, especially suddenly and forcibly.
the head was severed from the body

A person who occupies land or property rented from a landlord.
council-house tenants

The faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract or academic matters.
he was a man of action rather than of intellect

Relating to or occupying space.
the spatial distribution of population

Extremely beautiful and, typically, delicate.
exquisite, jewellike portraits

to public attention or into a noticeable position:
Various ecological issues have come to the fore since the discovery of the hole in the earth's ozone layer.

an object in space like a bright ball with a long tail, that moves around the Sun
 Halley’s Comet

A sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor.
the reigning monarch

Rough or loose in texture or grain.
a coarse woolen cloth

A small part broken or separated off something.
small fragments of pottery, glass, and tiles

A tool with a sharp-edged, typically rectangular, metal blade and a long handle, used for digging or cutting earth, sand, turf, etc.
What may be a surprise is that the bottom of your foot hurts, bruised from stepping on the hard metal of the spade or fork repeatedly.