| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| brash |
rudely self-assertive; bold; impudent. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |