| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apropos |
appropriate; relevant; opportune. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |