| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| Sabbatarian |
one who observes the Sabbath on Saturday, as Jews and certain Christians. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |