| amity |
friendly and peaceful relations; good will. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |