| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |