| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| 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. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |