| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| appellation |
a name, title, or other designation. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| internecine |
of or pertaining to conflict, discord, or struggle within a group. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |