| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |