| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |