| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |