| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apposite |
fitting; pertinent; appropriate. |
| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| delectation |
enjoyment; delight; pleasure. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| pungent |
sharp and strong in taste or smell. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |