| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| extrude |
to force out; expel. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| repose2 |
to put or place (confidence, hope, or the like) in someone or something. |
| salvo |
the firing of guns or other firearms simultaneously or in succession, especially as a salute. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |
| triage |
a system of determining priority of medical treatment, on the basis of need, chances of survival, and the like, to victims on a battlefield or in a hospital emergency ward. |