| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| bilge |
the rounded part of a ship's hull between the bottom and the sides. |
| dawdle |
to waste time; be slow. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |