Citizen: An American Lyric

Citizen: An American Lyric Glossary

Epistolary

relating to or denoting the writing of letters or literary works in the form of letters; e.g., an epistolary novel.

Furrow

a line or wrinkle on a person's face; e.g., 'there were deep furrows in his brow'.

Ruminant

an even-toed ungulate mammal that chews the cud regurgitated from its rumen. The ruminants comprise the cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer, giraffes, and their relatives.

Addressability

capability of being addressed.

Sabbatical (year)

also called sabbatical leave (in a school, college, university, etc.). A year, usually every seventh, of release from normal teaching duties granted to a professor, as for study or travel.

Nappy

like the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth, drawn up in napping.

Personae

a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well known official, actor, or celebrity; personal image; public role.

Amistad

La Amistad was a 19th-century two-masted schooner built in the United States but owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba. It was used as a slave ship.

Manumission

release from slavery; set free.

Transgression

an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offense.

Associative

of or involving the action of associating ideas or things: an associative, nonlinear mode of thought.

Code-switching

the practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation.

Retroactive

taking effect from a time in the past.

KKK

Ku Klux Klan:

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK), or simply "the Klan," is the name of three distinct past and present movements in the United States that have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-immigration, and, especially in later iterations, Nordicism, anti-Catholicism, and anti-Semitism, historically expressed through terrorism aimed at groups or individuals whom they opposed.

Exterior

a person's behavior and appearance, often contrasted with their true character (i.e. their interior).

Commodify

turn into or treat as a commodity (a useful or valuable thing, such as water or time).

Erroneous

wrong; incorrect.

Wry

using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor.

Quotidian

of or occurring every day; daily.

Comportment

behavior; bearing.

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