| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| 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. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| dawdle |
to waste time; be slow. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |