| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| immiscible |
not able to be mixed or blended. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |