| appurtenance |
(plural) equipment or instruments used for a given purpose; gear. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| 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. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| neophyte |
a beginner or novice at any activity. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |