| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |