| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| commodious |
comfortably spacious; roomy. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |