| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| pungent |
sharp and strong in taste or smell. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |