| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |