im • pec • ca • ble adj., flawless; above criticism. Cathy’s German was impeccable—she spoke the language so perfectly that even Herr Kraft could not detect an error.

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ex • cru • ci • at • ing adj., causing great pain. The bitter cold was excruciating. excruciatingly, adv

ci • vil • i • ty n., courtesy, politeness. John treated all the adults at the open house with extreme civility.

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dis • em • body v., deprive of bodily existence. On the phone, people are disembodied voices.

pre • ce • dence n., priority of importance. Homework takes precedence over stamp collecting.

flag • rant adj., outrageous. The detective made a flagrant error by overlooking the obvious clues. flagrantly, adv.

pro • cliv • i • ty n., natural tendency. Raccoons have the proclivity to attack small pets.

con • du • cive adj., tending to promote or assist. Using violence is never conducive to resolving a disagreement.

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sal • u • ta • tion n., word or phrase of greeting before the body of a letter. “Dear Sir or Madam” is a proper salutation for a business letter.

ves • tige n., trace, mark, or visible sign left by something. After Alex left the kitchen, no vestige of Mom’s cookies remained.

di • vest v., rid or free. I divested myself of all school worries at the beginning of summer vacation.