| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| iatrogenic |
caused by a physician or medical treatment, especially from drugs or surgery. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| unscathed |
not hurt or harmed; completely uninjured. |