| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| animus |
a feeling or attitude of enmity. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| caparison |
decorative trappings to cover a horse's saddle or harness. |
| delectation |
enjoyment; delight; pleasure. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| parturient |
giving birth or about to give birth; in labor. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |