| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| iatrogenic |
caused by a physician or medical treatment, especially from drugs or surgery. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| 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. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |