| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| commodious |
comfortably spacious; roomy. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |