| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |