| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| aggregate |
a sum, combination, or composite of separable elements. |
| agog |
highly excited and full of anticipation. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |