| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |