| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| halcyon |
tranquil; peaceful; calm. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |