| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| 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. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| noisome |
offensive or disgusting, especially in smell; foul. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |