| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| pedagogy |
the act, process, or profession of teaching. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| regicide |
the murderer of a king. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |