| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| advert |
to direct the attention by comment or remark. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| 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. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |