| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| alfresco |
in the open air; outdoors. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |