| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |
| trabeated |
using horizontal beams or lintels as supports instead of arches. |