| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| lupine2 |
fierce; greedy. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |