| aleatory |
pertaining to or depending on luck, chance, or contingency. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |