| 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. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| 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). |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |