| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| jubilate |
to feel joyful; rejoice; exult. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |