| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| bellicose |
easily incited to quarrel or fight; belligerent. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| pneumatic |
of, using, or concerning air or other gases. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |