| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| epicene |
sharing the traits of both sexes. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |