| banked fires | a low-burning fire left in a fireplace to be revived by the addition of air or more fuel | My mother would bank the fire in the hearth so that we could quickly start the fire in the morning. |
| chronic | frequently occuring (from chron="time") | He was chronically ill that winter due to lack of warm housing. |
| austere | marked by self-denial or self-discipline | Though he was a millionaire, his apartment was quite austere. |