| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |