| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |