| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |