| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |