| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |