| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| arrant |
complete; unmitigated; downright. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |