| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |