| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| salvo |
the firing of guns or other firearms simultaneously or in succession, especially as a salute. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |