| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |