| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |