| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |