| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |