| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| apposite |
fitting; pertinent; appropriate. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |