| aleatory |
pertaining to or depending on luck, chance, or contingency. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |