| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| immaculate |
not dirty; completely clean. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |