| abrogate |
to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority. |
| adamantine |
firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| 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. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |