| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| arrant |
complete; unmitigated; downright. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |