| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |