| alchemy |
an ancient exploration and practice of chemistry which flourished particularly during medieval times. Practitioners used chemical processes in the hope of, for example, producing gold from base metals, finding the key to eternal life, and uncovering a single cure for all disease. |
| alloy |
a substance made by mixing two or more metals or a metal and another substance. |
| alternative |
one of two or more choices. |
| chronological |
according to the order in which things happen. |
| clammy |
unpleasantly moist, cool, and sticky. |
| dependent |
relying on another for help or to provide what one needs. |
| ebb |
the flowing of the tide away from the land to the sea. |
| encase |
to enclose. |
| epic |
having to do with a long poem that tells the story of a hero or heroine. |
| excerpt |
a short section taken from a play, film, or written work. |
| infiltrate |
to enter into in secret. |
| inscribe |
to write by carving. |
| opus |
a work of fine or literary art, especially a musical composition numbered to indicate its chronological place in the composer's works. |
| predatory |
living on the flesh of other animals. |
| shrewd |
clever and careful. |