abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |
tummler |
an entertainer or social director who encourages participation by guests or audience. |