| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |