| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| entreat |
to beg for something, or to do something. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| lupine2 |
fierce; greedy. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| unscathed |
not hurt or harmed; completely uninjured. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |