| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| 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. |
| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |