| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| commodious |
comfortably spacious; roomy. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |