| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| pedagogy |
the act, process, or profession of teaching. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |