| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| pneumatic |
of, using, or concerning air or other gases. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |