| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |