| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| risible |
provoking laughter; laughable or funny. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |