| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| debauch |
to lead or seduce into immorality or intemperance; corrupt. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| 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. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| 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. |
| trabeated |
using horizontal beams or lintels as supports instead of arches. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |