| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| abrogate |
to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |