| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| munificent |
having or showing great generosity. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |