| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| entreat |
to beg for something, or to do something. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |