| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| electuary |
a drug mixed with honey, syrup, or the like to form a paste to be smeared on the teeth or gums of a sick animal. |
| epicene |
sharing the traits of both sexes. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |