my Antonia vocab

Freemasonry: natural or instinctive fellowship or sympathy

Bravado: a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate; defiant or swaggering behavior; a false show of bravery

Ardent: enthusiastic or passionate; warmth of feeling; eager; zealous

Banter: talk or exchange remarks in a good-humored teasing way; the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks

Covert: not openly acknowledged or displayed; hidden

Oracular: authoritative, wise expression; prophetic

Tawny: of an orange-brown or yellowish-brown color

Vermilion: bright red

Draws: natural ditches or valleys that draw the water off a piece of land

Windlass well: a water well with a bucket that is raised on a rope by turning a crank

Bandy: bowed; bowlegged

Torpor: a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy

Petulant: childishly sulky or bad-tempered

Fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant

Laconic: using very few words

Supercilious: behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others

Exorbitant: excessive; exceeding customary limits

Docile: ready to accept control or instruction; submissive

Remiss: lacking care or attention to duty; negligent

Hamper: to restrict movement

Defer: put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone; to yield to another’s wishes

Surly: bad-tempered and unfriendly; harsh; rude; gruff

Bile: anger; irritability; ill-temper

Plane: tool used to make wood smooth or level

Taciturn: reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little

Vexed: agitated; irritated; annoyed; worried

Indolence: avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness

Forestalled: prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking action ahead of time

Gaunt: lean and haggard, especially because of suffering, hunger, or age

Quay: a concrete, stone, or metal platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships

Valise: small piece of hand luggage

Lassitude: weariness; fatigue

Reticent: not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily; silent

Appease: pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands

Mollify: appease the anger or anxiety of (someone); to calm or soothe

Disconcerted: unsettled; confused; ruffled

Discreet: careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage; tactful; judicious in one’s conduct or speech

Lief: readily; willingly; gladly

Wistful: having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing; yearning; pensive, sad

Irresolute: indecisive; showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain

Decorum: appropriate behavior; propriety

Hectoring: talking in a bullying way; swaggering

Affable: friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

Piquant: provocative; exciting; having lively charm; stimulating; having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor

Ingenuous: open; honest; natural/straightforward; naive; innocent; unsuspecting

Dallied: act or move slowly; to linger or dawdle; to act playfully; to flirt

Fastidious: overly difficult to please; demanding excessive delicacy or care; very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

Prim: stiffly formal and respectable; feeling or showing disapproval of anything regarded as improper; proper; prudish

Licentiousness: lacking legal or moral (sexual) restraint; promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters

Caustic: sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way; biting (metaphorically); sharp; corrosive

Simper: smile in an affectedly coy, silly, self-conscious, or ingratiating manner

Malcontent: a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious; dissatisfied and complaining or making trouble

Propitiate: to appease, pacify, conciliate; to make favorable to the good will of

Droll: laughable, humorous, odd; amusing in a quiet way; curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement

Disapprobation: strong disapproval, typically on moral grounds; condemnation

Debauchery: extreme indulgence in sensuality; leading astray morally

Parsimonious: excessively frugal; stingy

Noblesse oblige (Latin): a person of high rank’s obligation to behave honorably

Amour-propre (Latin): self-esteem

Drudge: a person made to do hard menial or dull work

Menial: humble, servile, low; relating to servants