| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| extrude |
to force out; expel. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |