| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| 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. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| trabeated |
using horizontal beams or lintels as supports instead of arches. |