| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| Saturnalia |
an occasion of unrestrained revelry. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |