| alchemist | one who practices mideval chemistry, or tries to change metals into gold (n) |
| amalgam | a combination of different elements (n) |
| august | inspiring admiration or reverence (adj) |
| caldron | a large kettle used for boiling (n) |
| conduit | a pipe or tube for conveying water or other fluids, flume (n) |
| document | to support with references or citations (v) |
| forensic | pertaining to debate or argument (adj) |
| inaugural | the beginning, the first of a series (adj) |
| invidious | causing animosity or resentment, hateful; offensive (adj) |
| mellow | pleasingly mild (adj) |
| nettle | to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger in (v) |
| pare | to reduce or to lesson (v) |
| placebo | substance with no medication given to humor a patient (n) |
| privation | to condition of lacking basic necessities of life (v) |
| protuberance | the state of bulging beyond the surronding area, protrusion (n) |
| refractory | unmanageable, stubborn with respect to authority (adj) |
| reprehensible | deserving blame or repremand (adj) |
| rife | common in occurrence, abundant (adj) |
| serendipity | the faculty for making desirable discoveries by accident (n) |
| solace | to comfort or to cheer (v) |
| stipend | normal salary (n) |
| unremitting | constant, incessant (adj) |
| vitiated | impaired, corrupted, or made ineffective (adj) |
| teeming | filled to overflowing; present in large amount (adj) |
| zephyr | a gentle breeze, the west wind (n) |