| abuse |
cruel or harmful treatment. |
| confront |
to meet, face, or stand up to boldly. |
| decline |
to refuse to do, in a polite way. |
| dislodge |
to remove or force out of a fixed position. |
| harmonize |
to bring into agreement or cause to combine pleasantly or satisfactorily. |
| mortgage |
a written agreement by which a bank or other institution agrees to lend money so that one can buy a property. The bank holds a claim to this property until the money is paid back. |
| narrator |
a person or character who tells a story. |
| perishable |
likely to spoil or rot in a short time. |
| plumb |
to examine closely. |
| prior |
happening earlier in time or sequence. |
| qualification |
something that makes a person fit for an activity or job. |
| reflex |
having to do with a response or reaction that is automatic and not controlled by conscious thought. |
| scorch |
to burn slightly. |
| specificity |
the quality of being exact, precise, or particular. |
| underestimate |
to appraise at too low a quantity, rate, strength, value, or the like. |