| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| 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. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |