| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| internecine |
of or pertaining to conflict, discord, or struggle within a group. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |