| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| uxorious |
excessively or foolishly devoted to one's wife, and often thereby submissive to her. |