| abrade |
to rub away by friction; erode. |
| cordon |
a chain of guards or military stations forming a defense or containment line around an area. |
| eccentricity |
an odd or peculiar behavior, habit, interest, or the like. |
| epigram |
a short, pithy, often paradoxical sentence. |
| expatriate |
one who has gone into exile from or renounced allegiance to his or her native land. |
| humbug |
something without substance or meaning, such as an idea or argument; nonsense. |
| inclement |
of weather, violent or disagreeable. |
| influx |
the act or an instance of flowing in. |
| lackadaisical |
lacking energy, determination, or enthusiasm; listless or lazy. |
| lamentable |
deserving to be mourned or regretted; deplorable; unfortunate; disappointing. |
| opalescent |
exhibiting a spectrum of colors or changing colors; iridescent. |
| penance |
an act of punishment or self-discipline voluntarily undergone to show regret at having done something wrong. |
| primacy |
the state of being first, earliest, most essential, or most important. |
| scruple |
a belief about right and wrong that keeps a person from doing something that may be bad. |
| stratify |
to assign categories or create divisions within (a society) according to a hierarchy of social or economic classes. |