| adamantine |
firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| 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. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |