| A | B |
|---|
| arabesque | an ornate, intricate design |
| capote | a long coat |
| pomade | a scented cream used on hair |
| chicory | an herb |
| enigma | mystery |
| Rothschild | a family of very wealthy Jews |
| concubine | "extra" wife of lower status than the primary wife |
| chub | a type of fish |
| abyss | a huge void or chasm |
| spurious | false |
| erudite | scholarly |
| enamored | captivated |
| matzoh | unleavened bread eaten during Passover |
| emancipated | liberated, free |
| transmigrant | unsettled |
| heresy | beliefs that differ from those of one's religion |
| groats | grain |
| Cossacks | military men under the Czar |
| moratorium | an official delay in payments or other obligations |
| conscription | the draft into the military |
| constable | police officer |
| ablutions | ritual washing |
| derby | a type of hat |
| despotic | tyrannical |
| puttees | strips of cloth wound around the legs from ankles to knees |
| pedant | someone who is obsessed with rules |
| codices | volumes of Scripture |
| lexicon | type of dictionary |
| shlemiel | A Yiddish word that means a fool or bungler |
| halvah | a type of candy |
| pensive | thoughtful |
