| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| disheveled |
not neat; messy. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| unabashed |
not feeling or showing embarrassment, uneasiness, or shame. |