| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| aleatory |
pertaining to or depending on luck, chance, or contingency. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| occlude |
to close or obstruct (a passage or opening, one's vision, or the like). |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| 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. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |