| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |