| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |