Abolish

 

(verb) Formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution).

 

Abortion

 

(noun) The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy.

 

American Legion

 

(proper noun) An organization founded in 1919 that is composed of ex-servicemen from the U.S. Armed Forces who saw active duty during wartime. The Legion assists and lobbies politically for veterans in addition to sponsoring various youth programs.

 

Associative Logic

 

(noun) A method of thinking in which a person draws connections between topics that seem unrelated or distantly related.

 

Changeling

 

(noun) A fairy child whom fairies secretly leave in the place of a human child they have abducted. From European folklore.

 

Clause

 

(noun) A separate, distinct section of a legal document, such as a will, contract or treaty.

 

Contraceptive

 

(noun) A device or drug serving to prevent pregnancy. This can also be an adjective, if someone is taking “contraceptive” measures to prevent pregnancy.

 

Crucible

 

(noun) A container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures; a severe, searching test or trial.

 

Enumeration

 

(noun) The action of mentioning a number of things one by one.

 

Extemporaneous

 

(adjective) Spoken or performed with little or no advance preparation.

 

Hammurabi

 

(proper noun) An ancient king of Babylonia (in present-day Iraq). He established a law code that implemented severe physical punishments and harsher laws for poor citizens and women. The saying “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” comes from Hammurabi’s laws.

 

Jurisdiction

 

(noun) The extent of authority or control that a governing body or official has. For example, someone’s jurisdiction may be limited to certain topics or geographical areas.

 

Legionnaire

 

(noun) A member of the American Legion. A member of any legion; legionary.

 

Legion Hall

 

(proper noun) A meeting place for members of the American Legion, specific to a town or other small geographical location. Legion Halls often host events for their members, youth and the wider community.

 

Magna Carta

 

(proper noun) A legal document drafted by English noblemen in 1215. This document, which they forced King John to sign, established the right of the noblemen to swift trials and protected them from illegal imprisonment. The Constitution as a whole, and specifically the Fifth Amendment, was inspired by the Magna Carta and its role in establishing rights for English citizens.

 

Melancholia

 

(noun) An outdated term for a mental health condition. Symptoms were said to be severe depression and an irrational sense of fear or foreboding.

 

Milliner

 

(noun) A person who designs, makes or sells hats for women.

 

Naturalistic

 

(adjective) In art, when something is an accurate, detailed and unbiased re-creation of life.  Naturalistic art does not have supernatural or unrealistic elements and strives to depict objective reality, not the opinions of the artist.

 

Opposition

 

(noun) Resistance or dissent, expressed in action or argument.

 

Pager

 

(noun) A small, portable device that can receive text or voice messages. Some pagers can also reply to or send messages. Pagers were commonly carried before mobile phones became widespread, and they are still used today by people working in emergency services or public safety.

 

Paterfamilias

 

(noun) The male head of a family or household.

 

Penumbra

 

(noun) A shadowy, indefinite or incompletely illuminated area.

 

Proposition

 

(noun) A statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or opinion.

 

Sterilizing

 

(verb) To deprive (a person or animal) of the ability to produce offspring, typically by removing or blocking the sex organs.

 

Trans

 

(adjective) Description for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

 

Trenchant

 

(adjective) Incisive, keen or cutting. Sharp, direct and to the point.

 

“The Yellow Wallpaper”

 

(proper noun) "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 in The New England Magazine. The story details the deterioration of a woman's mental health while she is on a "rest cure" on a rented summer country estate with her family.

 

Utopian

 

(adjective) Modeled on or aiming for a state in which everything is perfect; idealistic.

 

Vis-à-vis

 

(preposition) In relation to; with regard to.