| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |