| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |