| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| pneumatic |
of, using, or concerning air or other gases. |
| 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. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |