| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |