| amity |
friendly and peaceful relations; good will. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| Sabbatarian |
one who observes the Sabbath on Saturday, as Jews and certain Christians. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |