| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| appurtenance |
(plural) equipment or instruments used for a given purpose; gear. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| beatify |
to admire or exalt as superior. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| 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. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |