adjunct
(noun)
something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic
(adjective)
added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity
bellwether
(noun)
the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends
caterwaul
(verb)
to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel
(noun)
a harsh or noisy cry; a racket
chimerical
(adjective)
absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible
effete
(adjective)
lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
fait accompli
(noun)
an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
hidebound
(adjective)
narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative
hierarchy
(noun)
any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.
liturgy
(noun)
a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
mirage
(noun)
something illusory, without substance or without a basis in reality; an illusion
morass
(noun)
a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand
noisome
(adjective)
offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
oblivious
(adjective)
forgetful; unaware
poltroon
(noun)
a base coward
proselyte
(noun)
a convert; a disciple
quasi
(adjective)
resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely
raillery
(noun)
good-humored ridicule; teasing
ribald
(adjective)
irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language
supine
(adjective)
lyng flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
vignette
(noun)
a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
aegis
(noun)
protection; patronage; sponsorship
apprise
(verb)
to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
bibulous
(adjective)
fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent
claque
(noun)
a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat
deracinate
(verb)
to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of
eleemosynary
(adjective)
charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity
indigenous
(adjective)
originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn, inherent
lachrymose
(adjective)
given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious
lexicon
(noun)
a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject,; a compendium
melee
(noun)
a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tulmultuous mingling
microcosm
(noun)
a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system
minuscule
(adjective)
very small, tiny
(noun)
a lowercase letter
obfuscate
(noun)
to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
paternalism
(noun)
the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children
polarize
(verb)
to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern
purview
(noun)
the range, extent, or scope of something, in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
sanguine
(adjective)
having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook
solecism
(noun)
a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
vassal
(noun)
a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant
(adjective)
subservient
verisimilitude
(noun)
the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
ancillary
(adjective)
subordinate or supplementary
bowdlerize
(verb)
to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
condescend
(verb)
to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner
cozen
(verb)
to trick; to cheat or swindle
enclave
(noun)
an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
forte
(noun)
a person's strong point; what a person does best
gratis
(adjective)
free
(adverb)
without charge
icon
(noun)
a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion
interstice
(noun)
a small, narrow space between things or parts of things
macrocosm
(noun)
the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
mountebank
(noun)
a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
paean
(noun)
a song of praise, joy, or triumph
persiflage
(noun)
lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
plethora
(noun)
overfullness; superabundance; superfluity
pragmatic
(adjective)
concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory
quizzical
(adjective)
puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
rapacity
(noun)
inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
schism
(noun)
a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
therapeutic
(adjective)
having the power to heal or cure; beneficial
virtuoso
(noun)
a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique
(adjective)
masterly or brilliant
adjunct
(noun)
something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic
(adjective)
added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity
bellwether
(noun)
the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends
caterwaul
(verb)
to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel
(noun)
a harsh or noisy cry; a racket
chimerical
(adjective)
absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible
effete
(adjective)
lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
fait accompli
(noun)
an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
hidebound
(adjective)
narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative
hierarchy
(noun)
any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.
liturgy
(noun)
a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
mirage
(noun)
something illusory, without substance or without a basis in reality; an illusion
morass
(noun)
a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand
noisome
(adjective)
offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
oblivious
(adjective)
forgetful; unaware
poltroon
(noun)
a base coward
proselyte
(noun)
a convert; a disciple
quasi
(adjective)
resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely
raillery
(noun)
good-humored ridicule; teasing
ribald
(adjective)
irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language
supine
(adjective)
lyng flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
vignette
(noun)
a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
aegis
(noun)
protection; patronage; sponsorship
apprise
(verb)
to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
bibulous
(adjective)
fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent
claque
(noun)
a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat
deracinate
(verb)
to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of
eleemosynary
(adjective)
charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity
indigenous
(adjective)
originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn, inherent
lachrymose
(adjective)
given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious
lexicon
(noun)
a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject,; a compendium
melee
(noun)
a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tulmultuous mingling
microcosm
(noun)
a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system
minuscule
(adjective)
very small, tiny
(noun)
a lowercase letter
obfuscate
(noun)
to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
paternalism
(noun)
the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children
polarize
(verb)
to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern
purview
(noun)
the range, extent, or scope of something, in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
sanguine
(adjective)
having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook
solecism
(noun)
a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
vassal
(noun)
a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant
(adjective)
subservient
verisimilitude
(noun)
the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
ancillary
(adjective)
subordinate or supplementary
bowdlerize
(verb)
to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
condescend
(verb)
to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner
cozen
(verb)
to trick; to cheat or swindle
enclave
(noun)
an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
forte
(noun)
a person's strong point; what a person does best
gratis
(adjective)
free
(adverb)
without charge
icon
(noun)
a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion
interstice
(noun)
a small, narrow space between things or parts of things
macrocosm
(noun)
the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
mountebank
(noun)
a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
paean
(noun)
a song of praise, joy, or triumph
persiflage
(noun)
lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
plethora
(noun)
overfullness; superabundance; superfluity
pragmatic
(adjective)
concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory
quizzical
(adjective)
puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
rapacity
(noun)
inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
schism
(noun)
a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
therapeutic
(adjective)
having the power to heal or cure; beneficial
virtuoso
(noun)
a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique
(adjective)
masterly or brilliant