| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |