| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |