| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| indemnity |
insurance against damage, loss, or liability. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |