| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| 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. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |