| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| concur |
to share the same opinion; agree. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| eruct |
to belch forth. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |