| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| brash |
rudely self-assertive; bold; impudent. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| 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. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| munificent |
having or showing great generosity. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| 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. |