| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| crass |
lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |
| tummler |
an entertainer or social director who encourages participation by guests or audience. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |