| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| electuary |
a drug mixed with honey, syrup, or the like to form a paste to be smeared on the teeth or gums of a sick animal. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |