| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |