| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |