| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| beatify |
to admire or exalt as superior. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |