| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| caparison |
decorative trappings to cover a horse's saddle or harness. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |
| tummler |
an entertainer or social director who encourages participation by guests or audience. |