| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |