| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| bellicose |
easily incited to quarrel or fight; belligerent. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |