| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| iatrogenic |
caused by a physician or medical treatment, especially from drugs or surgery. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| triage |
a system of determining priority of medical treatment, on the basis of need, chances of survival, and the like, to victims on a battlefield or in a hospital emergency ward. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |