Austerity
Pronunciation : Aus*ter"i*ty
Part of Speech : n.; pl. Austplwies (.
Etymology : [F. aust?rit?, L. austerias, fr. austerus. See Austere.]
Definition : 1. Sourness and harshness to the taste. [Obs.] Horsley.
2. Severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline. The austerity of John the Baptist. Milton.
3. Plainness; freedom from adornment; severe simplicity. Partly owing to the studied austerity of her dress, and partly to the lack of demonstration in her manners. Hawthorne.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913