| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |