| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |