| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| caparison |
decorative trappings to cover a horse's saddle or harness. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |