"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" Vocabulary

abstruse

hard to undertand

acumen

keen insight

aperture

an opening

contention

a struggling together in opposition, disagreement

culpable

deserving blame or censure

cursory

going rapidly over something, hasty, superficial

denizen

an inhabitant of a foreign country

egress

the act or an instance of going, exiting

expostulating

to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate, disagree

extolled

to praise highly

immolation

a self-sacrifice

patrimony

an estate inherited from one's father or ancestors

petulant

moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation; rude

preternatural

outside of nature

profundity

intellectual depth; penetrating knowledge

resolvent

causing solution

sally

a sudden rushing forth of activity

semblance

outward aspect or appearance

superfluity

a super amount or excessive amount, luxurious

tapers

slender candles

analytical

skilled analysis

ascertain

learn or discover with certainty or assurance

elicited

to draw or bring forth

deposes

to testify under oath

insoluble

incapable of being solved or explained

erred

to go astray in thought or belief

preclude

make impossible