| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, such as "the Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible" or "the Great" in "Alexander the Great." |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| lupine2 |
fierce; greedy. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |