| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| 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. |
| coeval |
coinciding in time of origin or existence; contemporary. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |