| abide |
to put up with; stand. |
| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| apposite |
fitting; pertinent; appropriate. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| epicene |
sharing the traits of both sexes. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |