| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |