| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| 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. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |