| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| crass |
lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |