| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |