| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |