| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| 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. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |