| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |