| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| aggregate |
a sum, combination, or composite of separable elements. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |