| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| 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. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |