| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| dawdle |
to waste time; be slow. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| eidetic |
pertaining to or designating the ability to recall images in almost perfect detail. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |