| appellation |
a name, title, or other designation. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| 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. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |