Webster's English Dictionary

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austere

Cross references:
  1. severe                
 
aus.tere \o.-'sti(*)r\ aj [ME, fr. MF, fr. L austerus, fr. Gk auste-ros 
   harsh, severe; aki]n to Gk hauos dry - more at SERE 1a: stern and 
   forbidding in appearance and manner  1b: SOMBER, GRAVE  2: rigidly 
   abstemious : ASCETIC  3: UNADORNED, SIMPLE  - aus.tere.ly av