| abrogate |
to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| appurtenance |
(plural) equipment or instruments used for a given purpose; gear. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |