| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |