mortise – a square hole made to receive a tenon and so to form a joint

bumpkin – a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture

verisimilitude – the appearance of truth

intone – speak carefully, as with rising and falling pitch or in a particular tone

milieu – the environmental condition

licentious – lacking moral discipline

pallbearer – one of the mourners carrying the coffin at a funeral

cynosure – something that strongly attracts attention and admiration

lyceum – a public hall for lectures and concerts

ensconce – fix firmly

indelible – cannot be removed or erased

vociferous – conspicuously and offensively loud

proscenium – the wall that separates the stage from the auditorium in a modern theater

opprobrium – a state of extreme dishonor

pyre – wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite

ersatz – artificial and inferior

balustrade – a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling

disinter – dig up for reburial or for medical investigation

antebellum – belonging to a period before a war especially the American Civil War