| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| appurtenance |
(plural) equipment or instruments used for a given purpose; gear. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |