| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| concur |
to share the same opinion; agree. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| iatrogenic |
caused by a physician or medical treatment, especially from drugs or surgery. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |