| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |