| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |
| repose2 |
to put or place (confidence, hope, or the like) in someone or something. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |