| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| fulminate |
to vehemently denounce or criticize something. |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| neophyte |
a beginner or novice at any activity. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| regicide |
the murderer of a king. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |