| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| occlude |
to close or obstruct (a passage or opening, one's vision, or the like). |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |