| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |