| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| repose2 |
to put or place (confidence, hope, or the like) in someone or something. |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |