| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| disheveled |
not neat; messy. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |