| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |