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