| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |