| advert |
to direct the attention by comment or remark. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| crass |
lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |