| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |