| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |