| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| coeval |
coinciding in time of origin or existence; contemporary. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| extrude |
to force out; expel. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |