| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| delectation |
enjoyment; delight; pleasure. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| regicide |
the murderer of a king. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |