| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| sartorial |
of or pertaining to tailors or tailored clothing, especially men's clothing. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |