| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| argot |
the vocabulary or jargon characteristic of a specific group or class, especially of criminals. |
| arrant |
complete; unmitigated; downright. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| disinter |
to dig up or remove from a place of burial; exhume. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |