| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |