| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |