| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| eruct |
to belch forth. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |