| contraband |
goods banned by law from being imported or exported. |
| distillation |
the process of heating a substance to produce a vapor, which is then cooled and condensed, in order to purify, concentrate, or extract components from the substance. |
| epigram |
a short, pithy, often paradoxical sentence. |
| hydraulic |
of, concerning, operated by, or moved by water or another liquid under pressure. |
| indispose |
to cause unwillingness or disinclination in; make averse. |
| infraction |
an act or instance of breaking or violating, usually a rule or law; violation or breach. |
| insidious |
dangerous through cunning, subtlety, and underhandedness. |
| irony |
a manner of using language so that it conveys a different or opposite meaning to that which is literally expressed in the words themselves. Irony is used in ordinary conversation and also as a literary technique, especially to express criticism or to produce humor or pathos. |
| pauper |
a very poor person who must live on public money. |
| penchant |
a strong liking for or inclination towards something. |
| realign |
to come to a new relationship or set of alliances, as countries or political factions. |
| rivulet |
a tiny stream or brook; trickle. |
| sumptuous |
large, lavish, or splendid, especially when created at great cost. |
| tribulation |
severe suffering or affliction; distress. |
| vehement |
intensely emotional; impassioned; heated. |