| 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. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| glut |
a greater supply or amount than is needed. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |