| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| uxorious |
excessively or foolishly devoted to one's wife, and often thereby submissive to her. |