| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |