| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| occlude |
to close or obstruct (a passage or opening, one's vision, or the like). |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |