| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| appose |
to place next to or side by side; juxtapose. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |