| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| deify |
to raise to the rank of a god; consider to be a god. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |