Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - austere

 adjective  Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin austerus, from Greek austeros harsh, severe; akin to Greek hauos dry — more at sere  Date: 14th century  1.  a. stern and cold in appearance or manner  b. somber, grave an ~ critic  2. morally strict ; ascetic  3. markedly simple or unadorned an ~ office an ~ style of writing  4. giving little or no scope for pleasure ~ diets  5. of a wine having the flavor of acid or tannin predominant over fruit flavors usually indicating a capacity for aging  Synonyms: see severe  • ~ly adverb  • ~ness noun