| attrition |
a gradual erosion of strength or morale. |
| charlatan |
one who deceitfully claims to possess a particular skill or expertise; fraud; quack. |
| exculpate |
to free (a person or group) from guilt or blame, or from the suspicion of guilt or blame. |
| infraction |
an act or instance of breaking or violating, usually a rule or law; violation or breach. |
| marauder |
one who raids or invades in order to plunder. |
| mediocre |
of average to poor quality; ordinary. |
| mutation |
a sudden, apparently abnormal change or alteration in a genetically determined structure, as opposed to gradual evolutionary change. |
| petite |
of a girl or woman, short and slender. |
| referendum |
the submission of a legislative measure to a vote by the general public, or the vote thus taken. |
| reiterate |
to say again. |
| scapegoat |
one made to bear the blame for the wrongs of others. |
| surrogate |
acting as, or considered to be, a substitute or replacement. |
| venal |
capable of acting dishonestly or wrongly in return for money or the like; open to accepting bribes; corrupt. |
| vintage |
a class of objects produced during a certain era or year. |
| waif |
a child without a home or friends. |