| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |