| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| aggregate |
a sum, combination, or composite of separable elements. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |