| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| concur |
to share the same opinion; agree. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |