| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| 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. |