| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| trabeated |
using horizontal beams or lintels as supports instead of arches. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |