| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| 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. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| iatrogenic |
caused by a physician or medical treatment, especially from drugs or surgery. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| 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. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |