| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |