| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| noisome |
offensive or disgusting, especially in smell; foul. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |