| ambidextrous |
able to use both the left and right hands with equal skill. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| stately |
dignified. |