| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| delectation |
enjoyment; delight; pleasure. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |