| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| immaculate |
not dirty; completely clean. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |