| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| deify |
to raise to the rank of a god; consider to be a god. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |