| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| 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. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| 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. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |