supererogatory \soo-puhr-ih-ROG-uh-tor-ee\ (adjective) - 1 : Going beyond what is required or expected. 2 : Superfluous; unnecessary.

"He was close to her doors: his standing was sufficient: his qualities were even ...Read More

hardscrabble \HARD-skrab-uhl\ (adjective) - 1 : Yielding a bare or meager living with great labor or difficulty. 2 : Marked by poverty.

"The hardscrabble land was such that few wanted to come and live in the area in spite...Read More

paragon \PAIR-uh-gon; -guhn\ (noun) - A model of excellence or perfection; as, "a paragon of beauty; a paragon of eloquence."

"Old Roland, that paragon of acceptable standards, viewed the world with a thoroughly jaundiced...Read More

camarilla \kam-uh-RIL-uh; -REE-yuh\ (noun) - A group of secret and often scheming advisers, as of a king; a cabal or clique.

"Few faulted the president for the problems during his tenure, instead choosing to blame the ...Read More

landloper \LAND-lo-puhr\ (noun) - A wanderer; vagabond; vagrant ; also landlouper and landleaper

"Through a series of games and dreamlike fantasies, the dynamic of the lead character's struggle between good and evil ...Read More

iota \eye-OH-tuh\ (noun) - 1 : The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding to the English i. 2 : A very small quantity or degree; a jot; a bit.

"A brilliant negotiator, James had not moderated his demands one ...Read More