| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |