| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| 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. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |