| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |