| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| glut |
a greater supply or amount than is needed. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |