| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| 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. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| Saturnalia |
an occasion of unrestrained revelry. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |