| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| bellicose |
easily incited to quarrel or fight; belligerent. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| pedagogy |
the act, process, or profession of teaching. |