| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| immaculate |
not dirty; completely clean. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |