| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |