| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| eidetic |
pertaining to or designating the ability to recall images in almost perfect detail. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| 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. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |