| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |