| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| unscathed |
not hurt or harmed; completely uninjured. |