| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| regicide |
the murderer of a king. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |