Tanglewood Tales
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1853) · Pre-Reading Vocabulary · prepared by Vocabularium
Match guide. Of this book’s 63,149 words of running text, a reader who knows the 3,000 most common English words can already read 86% — one who knows 6,000 reads 91%. The lists below close most of the remaining gap.
Words Worth Knowing Anywhere
High School (57 words)
maiden ×29 Webster 1828
noun
1. An unmarried woman, or a young unmarried woman; a virgin.
2. A female servant.
3. It is used in composition, to express the feminine gender, as in maid-servant.
MA'IDEN, noun A maid; also, an instrument for beheading cri…
“No peace could they obtain, however, except on condition that they should send seven young men and seven maidens, every year, to be devoured by the pet monster of the cruel King Minos.”
behold ×25 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive beheld' [Latin observo, from servo, to keep.]
1.
“When Theseus was ushered into the royal apartment, the only object that he seemed to behold was the white-bearded old king.”
weary ×22 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Having the strength much exhausted by toil or violent exertion; tired; fatigued. [It should be observed however that this word expresses less than tired, particularly when applied to a beast; as a tired horse.
“Thus, however weary a man might be, he never liked to lie in the bed of Procrustes.”
comrade ×21 Webster 1828
noun , Literally, one who lodges in the same room. Hence in a more general sense, a fellow, a mate or companion; an associate in occupation.
“I have already hinted to you what gormandizers some of the comrades of King Ulysses were.”
spear ×19 Webster 1828
noun
1. A long pointed weapon, used in war and hunting by thrusting or throwing; a lance.
2. A sharp pointed instrument with barbs; used for stabbing fish and other animals.
3.
“Soon he perceived them to be the steel heads of spears, sprouting up everywhere like so many stalks of grain, and continually growing taller and taller.”
gaze ×17 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Gr. to be astonished, and Heb. to see or look, that is, to fix the eye or to reach with the eye.]
To fix the eyes and look steadily and earnestly; to look with eagerness or curiosity; as in admiration, astonish…
“I made Eustace Bright sit down on a snow bank, which had heaped itself over the mossy seat, and gazing through the arched windows opposite, he acknowledged that the scene at once grew picturesque.”
torch ×17 Webster 1828
noun [Latin torqueo, tortus.] A light or luminary formed of some combustible substance, as of resinous wood or of candles.
They light the nuptial torch
“Just before midnight, the door was softly unbarred, and the gentle Ariadne showed herself, with a torch in her hand.”
fiery ×14 Webster 1828
adjective [from fire.]
1. Consisting of fire; as the fiery gulf of Etna.
And fiery billows roll below.
2. Hot like fire; as a fiery heart.
3. Vehement; ardent; very active; impetuous; as a fiery spirit.
4.
“there was her fiery chariot, and four huge winged serpents, wriggling and twisting in the air, flourishing their tails higher than the top of the palace, and all ready to set off on an aerial journey.”
hog ×14 Webster 1828
noun
1. A swine; a general name of that species of animal.
2. In England, a castrated sheep of a year old.
3. A bullock of a year old.
4. A brutal fellow; one who is mean and filthy.
5.
“It looked like nothing but a hog, which lay wallowing in the marble basin, and filled it from brim to brim.”
roar ×13 Webster 1828
verb intransitive
1. To cry with a full, loud, continued sound; to bellow, as a beast; as a roaring bull; a roaring lion.
2. To cry aloud, as in distress.
The suff'ring chief roar'd out for anguish.
3.
“Just as he spoke, they heard a rough and very disagreeable roar, which greatly resembled the lowing of a fierce bull, but yet had some sort of sound like the human voice.”
splendid ×13 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin , to shine. See Plain.]
1. Properly, shining; very bright; as a splendid sun. Hence,
2.
“Just then, there came a splendid butterfly, fluttering along the meadow; and Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix set off in pursuit of it, crying out that it was a flower with wings.”
sorrow ×12 Webster 1828
noun The uneasiness or pain of mind which is produced by the loss of any good. or of frustrated hopes of good, or expected loss of happiness; to grieve; to be sad.
“Aethra stood gazing at him, and clasped her hands, partly with a mother's pride, and partly with a mother's sorrow.”
resemble ×12 Webster 1828
verb transitive s as z. [See similar.]
1. To have the likeness of; to bear the similitude of something, either in form, figure or qualities.
“Just as he spoke, they heard a rough and very disagreeable roar, which greatly resembled the lowing of a fierce bull, but yet had some sort of sound like the human voice.”
meadow ×11 Webster 1828
noun med'o. A tract of low land. In America, the word is applied particularly to the low ground on the banks of rivers, consisting of a rich mold or an alluvial soil, whether grass land, pasture, tillage or wood land; as the mead…
“But to me there is a peculiar, quiet charm in these broad meadows and gentle eminences.”
lest ×11 Webster 1828
conjunction That not; for fear that.
Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Genesis 3:3.
The phrase may be thus explained. Ye shall not touch it; that separated or dismissed, ye die.
“In order to strengthen his purpose, and fearing lest the whole of the precious poison should be wasted, one of his nephews now whispered to him: "Has your Majesty any doubt of this stranger's guilt?”
feather ×11 Webster 1828
FEATH'ER-BED
FEATH'ER-DRIVER,
FEATH'ER-FEW, A corruption of feverfew.
“In the above-described warfare, if a Pygmy chanced to pluck out a crane's tail feather, it proved a very great feather in his cap.”
banquet ×11 Webster 1828
noun A feast; a rich entertainment of meat and drink. Esther 5:4. Job xli. Amos 6:7.
BAN'QUET, verb transitive To treat with a feast, or rich entertainment.
BAN'QUET, verb intransitive To feast; to regale one's self with good e…
“Then they quickened their pace, and capered for joy at the thought of the savory banquet at which they hoped to be guests.”
glimpse ×11 Webster 1828
noun glims.
1. A weak faint light.
Such vast room in Nature,
Only to shine, yet scarce to contribute
Each orb a glimpse of light.
2. A flash of light; as the lightning's glimpse
3.
“She cast a glance around, and caught a glimpse of Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix, who were still in pursuit of the butterfly, almost at the other end of the meadow.”
blossom ×10 Webster 1828
noun [Gr. a bud, probably from the same root.]
1. The flower or corol of a plant; a general term, applicable to every species of tree or plant, but more generally used than flower or bloom, when we have reference to the fruit whi…
“Squash Blossom, Blue Eye, Plantain, and Buttercup have had the scarlet fever, but came easily through it.”
earnest ×10 Webster 1828
adjective ern'est.
1. Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain; having a longing desire; warmly engaged or incited.
They are never more earnest to disturb us, than when they see us most earnest in this duty.
2.
“It is now time to make one earnest trial to remove the stone."”
spectacle ×10 Webster 1913
1. Something exhibited to view; usually, something presented to view
as extraordinary, or as unusual and worthy of special notice; a
remarkable or noteworthy sight; a show; a pageant; a
gazingstock. 2.
“The whole people of Athens, too, who had run out of doors to see this wonderful spectacle, set up a shout of joy at the prospect of getting rid of her.”
multitude ×10 Webster 1828
noun [Latin multitudo, form multus, many.]
1. The state of being many; a great number.
2. A number collectively; the sum of many.
3.
“A sorrowful multitude accompanied them to the shore.”
solitary ×10 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin solitarius, from solus, alone.]
1. Living alone; not having company. Some of the more ferocious animals are solitary seldom or never being found in flocks or herds. Thus the lion is called a solitary animal.
“So one day, when they happened to be passing through a pleasant and solitary tract of country, he sat himself down on a heap of moss.”
apt ×10 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin aptus, from apto, to fit. Gr. to tie.]
1. Fit; suitable; as, he used very apt metaphors.
2. Having a tendency; liable; used of things; as, wheat on moist land is apt to blast or be winter-killed.
3.
“said she; "for, instead of disguising a man, as other liquor is apt to do, it brings him to his true self, and shows him as he ought to be."”
robe ×10 Webster 1828
Rabbi
Rap
Rape
Rapier
Reap
Rebellow
Repay
Rib
Rip
Ripe
Ripier
Rob
Roballo
Robbe
Rope
Ropy…
“But when the affairs of his kingdom were all settled, King Thasus laid aside his purple robe and crown, and sceptre, and bade his worthiest subjects distribute justice to the people in his stead.”
dominion ×9 Webster 1828
noun [Latin See Dominant.]
1. Sovereign or supreme authority; the power of governing and controlling.
The dominion of the Most High is an everlasting dominion Daniel 4:3.
2.
“"He never harms people, unless they try to enter my dominions without being sent for, or to get away when I wish to keep them here.”
foam ×9 Webster 1828
noun [Latin fumo, to smoke, to foam ]
Froth; spume; the substance which is formed on the surface of liquors by fermentation or violent agitation, consisting of bubbles.
FOAM, verb intransitive
1.
“It stepped from cliff to cliff, and sometimes from one headland to another, while the sea foamed and thundered on the shore beneath, and dashed its jets of spray over the giant's feet.”
frightened ×9 Webster 1828
participle passive Terrified; suddenly alarmed with danger.
“Any other mortal man, except the very one whom Antaeus had now encountered, would have been half frightened to death by the Giant's ferocious aspect and terrible voice.”
summon ×9 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin submoneo; sub and moneo.]
1. To call, cite or notify by authority to appear at a place specified, or to attend in person to some public duty, or both; as, to summon a jury; to summon witnesses.
The parliam…
“said Ariadne, "we must quickly summon thy friends, and get them and thyself on board the vessel before dawn.”
cheerful ×9 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Lively; animated; having good spirits; moderately joyful. This is the most usual signification of the word, expressing a degree of animation less than mirth and jollity.
2.
“said he, with as cheerful a smile as he knew how to put on.”
heap ×8 Webster 1828
noun
1. A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body so as to form an elevation; as a heap of earth or stones.
Huge heaps of slain around the body rise.
2.
“I made Eustace Bright sit down on a snow bank, which had heaped itself over the mossy seat, and gazing through the arched windows opposite, he acknowledged that the scene at once grew picturesque.”
acquainted ×8 Webster 1828
participle passive Known; familiarly known; informed; having personal knowledge.
“It would hardly be doing yourself justice, were you to bring me acquainted with them, sitting here on this snow bank!"”
cavity ×8 Webster 1828
noun A hollow place; hollowness; an opening; as the cavity of the mouth or throat. This is a word of very general signification.
“Within the cavity lay a sword, with a golden hilt, and a pair of sandals.”
mil ×8 Modern
1. (noun) an angular unit used in artillery 2. (noun) a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a liter 3. (noun) a unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch
“The queen leaned heavily upon her son's arm, and could walk only a few miles a day.”
bind ×8 Webster 1828
verb transitive
1. To tie together, or confine with a cord, or any thing that is flexible; to fasten as with a band, fillet or ligature.
2.
“Making one bound (for this little princess was as active as a squirrel), there sat Europa on the beautiful bull, holding an ivory horn in each hand, lest she should fall off.”
slain ×8 Webster 1828
participle passive of slay; so written for slayen. Killed.
“"Thou hast slain the monster,"”
oracle ×8 Webster 1828
Orgal
“But, when thou hast laid thy mother in the earth, then go, my son, to Delphi, and inquire of the oracle what thou shalt do next."”
pillar ×8 Webster 1828
noun [Latin pila, a pile, a pillar a mortar and pestle. The Latin pila denotes a heap, or things thrown, put or driven together.]
Literally, a pile or heap; hence,
1.
“Halting at the entrance, they gazed through a long vista of lofty pillars, that were ranged from end to end of a great hall.”
follower ×8 Webster 1828
noun
1. One who comes, goes or moves after another, in the same course.
2. One that takes another as his guide in doctrines, opinions or example; one who receives the opinions, and imitates the example of another; an adherent; an…
“Eurylochus and his followers now passed under a lofty portal, and looked through the open doorway into the interior of the palace.”
remark ×7 Webster 1828
noun Notice or observation, particularly notice or observation expressed in words or writing; as the remarks of an advocate; the remarks made in conversation; the judicious or the uncandid remarks of a critic.
“I remarked.”
childish ×7 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Belonging to a child; trifling; puerile.
When I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11.
2. Pertaining to a child; as childish yeas or age; childish sports.
3.
“Once he galloped so far away that Europa feared lest she might never see him again; so, setting up her childish voice, called him back.”
prick ×7 Webster 1828
verb transitive
1. To pierce with a sharp pointed instrument or substance; as, to prick one with a pin, a needle, a thorn or the like.
2.
“But when Theseus heard of robbers and monsters, he pricked up his ears, and was so much the more eager to take the road along which they were to be met with.”
faint ×7 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin vanus, whence to vanish. Eng. to wane.]
1. weak; languid; inclined to swoon; as, to be rendered faint by excessive evacuations.
2. Weak; feeble; languid; exhausted; as faint with fatigue, hunger or thirst.
3.
“Saying this, the poor queen shed tears, because it was a grievous trial to the mother's heart to confess that her hopes were growing faint.”
nod ×7 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Gr. contracted; a nod; to nod to beckon, a leap a spring; to leap, to throb or beat, as the pulse]
1. To incline the head with a quick motion, either forward or sidewise, as persons nod in sleep.
2.
“As soon as the Pygmies saw Hercules preparing for a nap, they nodded their little heads at one another, and winked with their little eyes.”
sailed ×7 Webster 1828
participle passive Passed in ships or other water craft.
“In a few moments the white foam was boiling up before their prow, as Prince Theseus and his companions sailed out of the harbor, with a whistling breeze behind them.”
snatch ×7 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive snatched or snacht.
1. To seize hastily or abruptly. When half our knowledge we must snatch not take.
2. To seize without permission or ceremony; as, to snatch a kiss.
3.
“When the two armies joined battle, the cranes would rush forward, flapping their wings and stretching out their necks, and would perhaps snatch up some of the Pygmies crosswise in their beaks.”
bon ×7 Webster 1913
1. Good; valid as security for something.
“"Up with you, lazy bones!”
merry ×7 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Gay and noisy; jovial; exhilarated to laughter.
Man is the merriest species of the creation.
They drank and were merry with him. Genesis 43:34.
2. Causing laughter or mirth; as a merry jest.
3.
“The one thing which my palace needs is a merry little maid, to run upstairs and down, and cheer up the rooms with her smile.”
stray ×7 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [The elements of this word are not certainly known. Latin , G., to wander, to strike; both probably from the root of reach, stretch. See Straggle.]
1.
“"Where the stray cow lies down, there is your home."”
gateway ×7 Webster 1828
noun A way through the gate of some inclosure.
1. A building to be passed at the entrance of the area before a mansion.
“So saying, Pluto pulled at the reins, and stopped the chariot right between the tall, massive pillars of the gateway.”
distinctly ×7 Webster 1828
adverb
1. Separately; with distinctness; not confusedly; without the blending of one part or thing with another; as a proposition distinctly understood; a figure distinctly defined. Hence,
2.
“The water of this fountain, as it spouted upward, was constantly taking new shapes, not very distinctly, but plainly enough for a nimble fancy to recognize what they were.”
gladly ×6 Webster 1828
adverb [See Glad.] With pleasure; joyfully; cheerfully.
The common people heard him gladly Mark 12:37.
“I was not insensible to the advantages of his proposal, and gladly assured him of my acceptance.”
confess ×6 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin , to own or acknowledge.]
1. To own, acknowledge or avow, as a crime, a fault, a charge, a debt, or something that is against one's interest, or reputation.
Human faults with human grief confess
I confess t…
“Yet, in spite of my experience of his free way of handling them, I did not quite see, I confess, how he could have obviated all the difficulties in the way of rendering them presentable to children.”
trumpet ×6 Webster 1828
noun
1. A wind instrument of music, used chiefly in war and military exercises. It is very useful also at sea, in speaking with ships.
“Theseus took longer strides on hearing this, and fancied himself sure of a magnificent reception at his father's court, since he came thither with Fame to blow her trumpet before him, and cry to King Aegeus, "Behold your son!"”
majestic ×6 Webster 1828
adjective [from majesty.] August; having dignity of person or appearance; grand; princely. The prince was majestic in person and appearance.
In his face
Sat meekness, hightened with majestic grace.
1.
“cried he, as he stood gazing at the calm, majestic face of the statue, "I must go to the Talking Oak and inquire what next to do."”
limb ×6 Webster 1828
noun lim. [Latin limbus, edge or border, extremity; limes, limit. The sense of limb is from shooting or extending.]
1. Edge or border.
“The folds of its garments, moreover, instead of waving in the wind, fell heavily over its limbs, as if woven of some kind of metal.”
tread ×6 Webster 1828
verb intransitive tred. preterit tense trod; participle passive trod, troden. [Latin trudo.]
1. To set the foot.
Where'er you tread the blushing flow'rs shall rise.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
2.
“said Ariadne, "and tread softly."”
College (53 words)
fleece ×42 Webster 1828
noun flees. [Latin vellus, from vello, to pluck or tear off.]
The coat of wool shorn from a sheep at one time.
FLEECE, verb transitive
1. To shear off a covering or growth of wool.
2.
“THE GOLDEN FLEECE.”
peep ×31 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Latin pipio; Heb. to cry out.]
1. To begin to appear; to make the first appearance; to issue or come forth from concealment, as through a narrow avenue.
I can see his pride
PEEP through each part of him.
When…
“The moss grew over it thicker and thicker, until at last it looked almost like a soft green seat, with only a few gray knobs of granite peeping out.”
chariot ×24 Webster 1828
CHARIOT,noun
1. A half coach; a carriage with four wheels and one seat behind, used for convenience and pleasure.
2. A car or vehicle used formerly in war, drawn by two or more horses, and conveying two men each.
“This chariot, in fact, was the vehicle that first brought her to Athens, where she had done nothing but mischief ever since her arrival.”
mischief ×24 Webster 1828
noun
1. Harm; hurt; injury; damage; evil, whether intended or not. A new law is made to remedy the mischief
2. Intentional injury; harm or damage done by design.
Thy tongue deviseth mischief Psalms 52:1.
3.
“This chariot, in fact, was the vehicle that first brought her to Athens, where she had done nothing but mischief ever since her arrival.”
inquire ×23 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Latin inquiro; in and quoero, to seek.]
1. To ask a question; to seek for truth or information by asking questions.
We will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth.
“I inquired.”
peril ×16 Webster 1828
noun [Latin periculum, from Gr. to try, to attempt, that is, to strain; an attempt, danger, hazard; to pass, to thrust in or transfix; Latin experior; Eng. experience.]
1.
“And when she beheld the brave, spirited figure of Prince Theseus bearing himself so calmly in his terrible peril, she grew a hundred times more pitiful than before.”
melancholy ×15 Webster 1828
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“These thoughts made them all melancholy at times, but appeared to torment Cilix more than the rest of the party.”
fling ×15 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive flung. [Latin lego legare.]
1. To cast, send or throw from the hand; to hurl; as, to fling a stone at a bird.
Tis fate that flings the dice; and as she flings,
Of kings ma…
“He was in the habit of flinging his victims off a high cliff into the sea; and, in order to give him exactly his deserts, Theseus tossed him off the very same place.”
winged ×15 Webster 1828
participle passive
1. Furnished with wings; transported by flying.
2. adjective Having wings; as a winged fowl. Genesis 1:21.
3. Swift; rapid; as with winged haste.
4. Wounded; hurt.
5.
“there was her fiery chariot, and four huge winged serpents, wriggling and twisting in the air, flourishing their tails higher than the top of the palace, and all ready to set off on an aerial journey.”
lofty ×14 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Elevated in place; high; as a lofty tower; a lofty mountain. [But it expresses more than high, or at least is more emphatical, poetical and elegant.]
See lofty Lebanon his head advance.
2.
“In the old city of Troezene, at the foot of a lofty mountain, there lived, a very long time ago, a little boy named Theseus.”
onward ×14 Webster 1828
adverb [Latin versus.]
1. Toward the point before or in front; forward; progressively; in advance; as, to move onward
Not one looks backward, onward still he goes.
2. In a state of advanced progression.
3.
“As he passed onward, the clouds gathered over the moon, and the labyrinth grew so dusky that Theseus could no longer discern the bewilderment through which he was passing.”
disposition ×13 Webster 1828
noun [Latin]
1. The act of disposing, or state of being disposed.
2. Manner in which things or the parts of a complex body are placed or arranged; order; method; distribution; arrangement.
“At first, to be sure, the workmen showed a quarrelsome disposition.”
stride ×12 Webster 1828
noun [Latin] A long step.
Her voice theatrically loud, and masculine her stride
STRIDE, verb intransitive preterit tense strid, strode; participle passive strid, stridden.
1.
“But he let the sun and wind dry them, and walked stoutly on, playing with the golden hilt of his sword, and taking very manly strides in his father's sandals.”
labyrinth ×12 Webster 1828
noun [Latin labyrinthus; Gr.]
1. Among the ancients, an edifice or place full of intricacies, or formed with winding passages, which rendered it difficult to find the way from the interior to the entrance.
“said Ariadne, "in the famous labyrinth which Daedalus built before he made himself a pair of wings, and flew away from our island like a bird.”
haste ×12 Webster 1828
noun
1. Celerity of motion; speed; swiftness; dispatch; expedition; applied only to voluntary beings, as men and other animals; never to other bodies.
“It looked so intolerably absurd to see hogs on cushioned thrones, that they made haste to wallow down upon all fours, like other swine.”
swine ×12 Webster 1828
noun sing. and plural A hog, a quadruped of the genus Sus, which furnishes man with a large portion of his most nourishing food. The fat or lard of this animal enters into various dishes in cookery.
“Eurylochus could not conceive what had happened, unless a drove of swine had broken into the palace, attracted by the smell of the feast.”
whispered ×11 Webster 1828
participle passive Uttered in a low voice; uttered with suspicion or caution.
“she whispered in the king's ear.”
nearer ×11 Modern
1. (adverb) (comparative of `near' or `close') within a shorter distance
“Still the stranger drew nearer; and now the Pygmies could plainly discern that, if his stature were less lofty than the Giant's, yet his shoulders were even broader.”
wreath ×11 Webster 1828
noun [See Writhe.]
1. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; as, to wreath a garland of flowers.
2. To interweave; to entwine; as chains of wreathed work.
3.
“I long to make you some wreaths that shall be as lovely as this necklace of many colored shells."”
valiant ×10 Webster 1828
adjective val'yant. [Latin valeo, to be strong.]
1. Primarily, strong; vigorous in body; as a valiant fencer.
2.
“Thus, by the time he reached his journey's end, Theseus had done many valiant feats with his father's golden-hilted sword, and had gained the renown of being one of the bravest young men of the day.”
dismal ×10 Webster 1828
adjective s as z. [I am not satisfied with the etymologies of this word which I have seen. ]
1. Dark; gloomy; as a dismal shade.
2.
“And, dearest Theseus, if by some happy chance, you should escape the jaws of the Minotaur, then tear down those dismal sails, and hoist others that shall be bright as the sunshine.”
exceedingly ×10 Webster 1828
adverb To a very great degree; in a degree beyond what is usual; greatly; very much.
Isaac trembled exceedingly Genesis 27:33.
“Your hearts seem to me so exceedingly great, that, upon my honor, I marvel how your small bodies can contain them.”
loom ×10 Webster 1828
noun
1. In composition, heir-loom, in law, is a personal chattel that by special custom descends to an heir with the inheritance, being such a thing as cannot be separated from the estate, without injury to it; such as jewels of…
“"But just listen to the pleasant voices of those maidens, and that buzz of the loom, as the shuttle passes to and fro,"”
saloon ×10 Webster 1828
noun [See Hall.]
In architecture, a lofty spacious hall, vaulted at the top, and usually comprehending two stories with two ranges of windows.
“If your appetites tell you it is dinner time, then come with me to the festal saloon."”
serpent ×9 Webster 1828
noun [Latin serpens, creeping; serpo, to creep.]
1. An animal of the order of Serpentes, [creepers, crawlers, ] Of the class of Amphibia.
“there was her fiery chariot, and four huge winged serpents, wriggling and twisting in the air, flourishing their tails higher than the top of the palace, and all ready to set off on an aerial journey.”
flung ×9 Webster 1828
preterit tense and participle passive of fling.
Several statues the Romans themselves flung into the river.
“As the guards were taking him away, she flung herself at the king's feet, and besought him to set all the captives free, and especially this one young man.”
prudent ×9 Webster 1828
adjective Cautious; circumspect; practically wise; careful of the consequences of enterprises, measures or actions; cautious not to act when the end is of doubtful utility, or probably impracticable.
The prudent man looketh well…
“But we must leave the prudent Eurylochus waiting in the outer hall, and follow his friends into the inner secrecy of the palace.”
rustic ×8 Webster 1828
RUST'ICAL, adjective [Latin rusticus, from rus, the country.]
1. Pertaining to the country; rural; as the rustic gods of antiquity.
2. Rude; unpolished; rough; awkward; as rustic manners or behavior.
3.
“I doubt whether Eustace did not internally pronounce the whole thing a bore, until I led him to my predecessor's little ruined, rustic summer house, midway on the hillside.”
brightly ×8 Webster 1828
adverb britely. Splendidly; with luster.
“So we descended the hill to my small, old cottage, and shut ourselves up in the south-eastern room, where the sunshine comes in, warmly and brightly, through the better half of a winter's day.”
slay ×8 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense slew; participle passive slain. [The proper sense is to strike, and as beating was an early mode of killing, this word, like smite, came to signify to kill.
“This is the very sword with which he meant to slay you.”
scramble ×8 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [It is not improbably that this word is corrupted from the root of scrape, scrabble.]
1. To move or climb by seizing objects with the hand, and drawing the body forward; as, to scramble up a cliff.
2.
“The king, hearing the hiss of the serpents, scrambled as fast as he could to the window, and bawled out to the abominable enchantress never to come back.”
gloomy ×8 Webster 1828
adjective [from gloom.] Obscure; imperfectly illuminated; or dark; dismal; as the gloomy cells of a convent; the gloomy shades of night.
1.
“So he kept himself awake, and paced to and fro across the gloomy dungeon in which they were shut up.”
brute ×8 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin brutus, senseless, irrational.]
1. Senseless; unconscious; as the brute earth.
2. Irrational; ferine; as a brute beast.
3. Bestial; in common with beasts; as brute violence.
4.
“But brutes as they certainly were, they yet had enough of human nature in them to be shocked at their own hideousness; and still intending to groan, they uttered a viler grunt and squeal than before.”
rumble ×8 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Heb., Gr., Latin fremo.]
To make a low, heavy, continued sound; as thunder rumbles at a distance, but when near, its sound is sharp and rattling. A heavy carriage rumbles on the pavement.
“She gave another pull, but relaxed her hold, fancying that there was a rumbling sound right beneath her feet.”
pasture ×8 Webster 1828
noun [Latin pasco, pastum, to feed.]
1. Grass for the food of cattle; the food of cattle taken by grazing.
2. Ground covered with grass appropriated for the food or cattle.
“"There are bulls enough in my pasture,"”
voyager ×8 Webster 1828
noun One who sails or passes by sea or water.
A private voyager I pass the main.
“But the rest of the voyagers, snuffing up the smoke from the palace kitchen, ridiculed the idea of returning to the vessel.”
peacock ×8 Webster 1828
noun [Latin pavo.] A large and beautiful fowl of the genus Pavo, properly the male of the species, but in usage the name is applied to the species in general.
“While Jason was gazing at her, a peacock strutted forward, and took his stand at the old woman's side.”
hideous ×7 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Frightful to the sight; dreadful; shocking to the eye; applied to deformity; as a hideous monster; a hideous spectacle; hideous looks.
2. Shocking to the ear; exciting terror; as a hideous noise.
3. Detestable.
“Sitting there on thy golden throne, and in thy robes of majesty, I tell thee to thy face, King Minos, thou art a more hideous monster than the Minotaur himself!"”
affectionate ×7 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Having great love, or affection; fond; as, an affectionate brother.
2. Warm in affection; zealous.
Man, in his love to God, and desire to please him, can never be too affectionate
3.
“Nothing remained for him, therefore, but to bid Ariadne an affectionate farewell, and to go on board the vessel, and set sail.”
monstrous ×7 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin monstrosus.] Unnatural in form; out of the common course of nature; as a monstrous birth or production.
1. Strange; very wonderful; generally expressive of dislike.
2.
“But Cadmus toiled and tugged, and after pounding the monstrous head almost to pieces with a great stone, he at last collected as many teeth as might have filled a bushel or two.”
cunning ×7 Webster 1828
adjective [G. See Can.]
1. Knowing; skillful; experienced; well-instructed. It is applied to all kinds of knowledge, but generally and appropriately, to the skill and dexterity of artificers, or the knowledge acquired by experien…
“The cunning Medea observed what was passing in the young man's mind.”
plainly ×7 Webster 1828
adverb With a level surface. [Little used.]
1. Without cunning or disguise.
2. Without ornament or artificial embellishment; as, to be plainly clad.
3. Frankly; honestly; sincerely; as, deal plainly with me.
4.
“Still the stranger drew nearer; and now the Pygmies could plainly discern that, if his stature were less lofty than the Giant's, yet his shoulders were even broader.”
wiser ×7 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense wist. To think; to suppose; to imagine.
“He turned away from the oracle, and thought himself no wiser than when he came thither.”
glare ×7 Webster 1828
noun
1. A bright dazzling light; clear, brilliant luster or splendor, that dazzles the eyes.
The frame of burnished steel that cast a glare
2.
“Once or twice, he fancied that he saw a glare of some bright object, a long way off, flinging a gleam across the waves.”
boldly ×7 Webster 1828
adverb In a bold matter; courageously; intrepidly; without timidity or fear; with confidence. Sometimes, perhaps, in a bad sense, for impudently.
“So the young man took the end of the silken string in his left hand, and his gold-hilted sword, ready drawn from its scabbard, in the other, and trod boldly into the inscrutable labyrinth.”
rosy ×7 Webster 1828
adjective [from rose.]
1. Resembling a rose in color or qualities; blooming; red; blushing; charming.
While blooming youth and gay delight sit on thy rosy check contest.
The rosy morn resigns her light.
2.
“Seated on the grass, the child was almost hidden under an abundance of buds and blossoms, whence her rosy face peeped merrily out, and, as Cadmus said, was the prettiest of all the flowers.”
harp ×7 Webster 1828
noun
1. An instrument of music of the stringed kind, of a triangular figure, held upright and commonly touched with the fingers.
2.
“said Ceres, with bitter meaning in her words, "you have a harp instead of a heart.”
eagerly ×6 Webster 1828
adverb With great ardor of desire; ardently; earnestly; warmly; with prompt zeal; as, he eagerly flew to the assistance of his friend.
1. Hastily; impetuously.
2. Keenly; sharply.
“They fall away, and are thought of no more, the instant he puts his imagination in sympathy with the innocent little circle, whose wide-open eyes are fixed so eagerly upon him.”
sow ×6 Webster 1828
noun
1. The female of the hog kind or of swine.
2. An oblong piece of lead.
3. An insect; a milleped.
SOW'-BREAD, noun A plant of the genus Cyclamen.
SOW'-BUG, noun An insect; a milleped.
“The great sow had been an awful beast, while ramping about the woods and fields, but was a pleasant object enough when cut up into joints, and smoking on I know not how many dinner tables.”
scarcely ×6 Webster 1828
adverb
1. Hardly; scantly.
We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
2. Hardly; with difficulty.
Slowly he sails, and scarcely stems the tides.
“He could scarcely wait to see whether King Aegeus would recognize him, so eager was he to throw himself into his arms.”
flourishing ×6 Webster 1828
participle present tense or adjective flur'ishing. Thriving; prosperous; increasing; making a show.
“there was her fiery chariot, and four huge winged serpents, wriggling and twisting in the air, flourishing their tails higher than the top of the palace, and all ready to set off on an aerial journey.”
attentive ×6 Webster 1828
adjective
Heedful; intent; observant; regarding with care. It is applied to the senses of hearing and seeing, as an attentive ear or eye; to the application of the mind, as in contemplation; or to the application of the mind, tog…
“But when his eyes rested on Theseus, the king looked at him more attentively, because his face was calm and brave.”
torment ×6 Webster 1828
noun [Latin tormentum.; torqueo, torno; Eng. tour; that is, from twisting, straining.]
1. Extreme pain; anguish; the utmost degree of misery, either of body or mind.
The more I see
Pleasure about me, so much I feel
Torment withi…
“If he were suffered to exist at all, it should have been on some desert island, or in the duskiness of some deep cavern, where nobody would ever be tormented by his abominable aspect.”
Rare & Period Words
beheld ×25 Webster 1828
preterit tense and participle passive of behold, which see.
“A little way before him, he beheld the old woman whom he had helped over the stream, with her peacock beside her.”
enchantress ×21 Webster 1828
noun A sorceress; a woman who pretends to effect wonderful things by the aid of demons; one who pretends to practice magic.
1.
“With a drawn sword hanging over her, the enchantress would readily have consented to do as much good as she had hitherto done mischief, however little she might like such employment.”
brazen ×18 Webster 1828
adjective brazn. Made of brass; as a brazen helmet.
1. Pertaining to brass; proceeding from brass; as a brazen din.
2.
“answered Jason, "he is very angry with me for taming the brazen bulls and sowing the dragon's teeth.”
goblet ×17 Webster 1828
noun A kind of cup or drinking vessel without a handle.
We love not loaded boards, and goblets crown'd.
“I will send for some, in a golden goblet, the moment we arrive."”
bade ×16 Webster 1828
BADE, the past tense of bid. [See Bid.]
“Medea, however, bade him snatch up a stone from the ground.”
devoured ×16 Webster 1828
participle passive Eaten; swallowed with greediness; consumed; destroyed; wasted; slain.
“But there are other things as hard, or perhaps a little harder, to be done before you can even have the privilege of being devoured by the dragon.”
pomegranate ×16 Webster 1828
noun [Latin pomum, an apple, and granatum, grained. See Grain and Granate.]
1. The fruit of a tree belonging to the genus Punica.
“The old woman had a pomegranate in her hand, although the fruit was then quite out of season.”
sandals ×15 Webster 1828
noun [Latin sandalium; Gr.]
1. A kind of shoe, consisting of a sole fastened to the foot. The Greek and Roman ladies wore sandals made of a rich stuff, ornamented with gold or silver.
2.
“"You will get a handsomer pair of sandals by and by,"”
snow-white ×14 Webster 1828
adjective [snow and white.] White as snow; very white.
“But Ulysses, while the butler was gone for the wine, held the snow-white flower to his nose.”
exclaimed ×13 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Latin exclamo; ex and clamo, to cry out. See Claim, Clamor.]
1. To utter the voice with vehemence; to cry out; to make a loud outcry in words; as, to exclaim against oppression; to exclaim with wonder or aston…
“exclaimed Medea, "and do you not recognize the meed of all your toils and perils, when it glitters before your eyes?”
cavern ×13 Webster 1828
noun A deep hollow place in the earth. In general, it differs from cave in greater depth, and in being applied most usually to natural hollows, or chasms.
Earth with its caverns dark and deep.
“He lived in a cavern, and had the body and legs of a white horse, with the head and shoulders of a man.”
mariners ×13 Webster 1828
noun [Latin mare, the sea.] A seaman or sailor; one whose occupation is to assist in navigating ships.
“Circe and the four nymphs must have been very diligently at work since the arrival of the mariners; for a great many yards of tapestry had now been wrought, in addition to what I before described.”
whither ×13 Webster 1828
adverb
1. To what place, interrogatively. whither goest thou?
WHITHER away so fast?
2. To what place, absolutely.
I strayd, I knew not whither
3. To which place, relatively.
WHITHER when as they came, they fell at words.
4.
“He therefore let go Medea's hand, and walked boldly forward in the direction whither she had pointed.”
nymphs ×13 Webster 1828
noun
1. In mythology, a goddess of the mountains, forests, meadows and waters. According to the ancients, all the world was full of nymphs, some terrestrial, others celestial; and these had names assigned to them according to the…
“Ceres scarcely waited to hear what the nymphs had to say, before she hurried off to make inquiries all through the neighborhood.”
galley ×13 Webster 1828
noun plural galleys. [Latin galea. The Latin word signifies a helmet, the top of a mast, and a galley; and the name of this vessel seems to have been derived from the head-piece, or kind of basket-work, at mast-head.]
1.
“By his advice, the heroes had seated themselves on the benches of the galley, with their oars held perpendicularly, ready to let fall into the water.”
thither ×12 Webster 1828
adverb To that place; opposed to hither.
This city is near, O let me escape thither Genesis 19:20.
Where I am, thither ye cannot come. John 7:34.
1.
“Ceres answered, that Hecate was welcome to go back thither herself, but that, for her part, she would wander about the earth in quest of the entrance to King Pluto's dominions.”
enchanted ×12 Webster 1828
participle passive Affected by sorcery; fascinated; subdued by charms; delighted beyond measure.
1. Inhabited or possessed by elves, witches, or other imaginary mischievous spirits; as an enchanted castle.
“But the secret of the matter was, that the brazen bulls were enchanted creatures, and that Jason had broken the spell of their fiery fierceness by his bold way of handling them.”
sandal ×12 Webster 1828
noun [Latin sandalium; Gr.]
1. A kind of shoe, consisting of a sole fastened to the foot. The Greek and Roman ladies wore sandals made of a rich stuff, ornamented with gold or silver.
2.
“So light of foot was this fair damsel, that she could step from one foamy crest of a wave to the foamy crest of another, without wetting more than the sole of her sandal.”
dwelt ×11 Webster 1913
1. of
Dwell.
“"Ever since my infancy, I have dwelt in the cave of Chiron the Centaur.”
inhabitants ×11 Webster 1828
noun A dweller; one who dwells or resides permanently in a place, or who has a fixed residence, as distinguished from an occasional lodger or visitor; as the inhabitant of a house or cottage; the inhabitants of a town, city, coun…
“The inhabitants all felt this, and King Pluto more than any of them.”
mouthful ×11 Webster 1828
noun As much as the mouth contains at once.
1. A quantity proverbially small; a small quantity.
“rejoined the youth, "that a dragon lies beneath the tree on which the prize hangs, and that whoever approaches him runs the risk of being devoured at a mouthful."”
hast ×10 Webster 1828
the second person singular of have, I have, thou hast contracted from havest. It is used only in the solemn style.
“Thou hast quaffed off my wine, and canst be man no longer."”
sty ×10 Webster 1828
noun
1. A pen or inclosure for swine.
2. A place of bestial debauchery.
To roll with pleasure in a sensual sty
3.
“added Ulysses, "whether you do not find your way back to the sty."”
sorrowful ×9 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Sad; grieving for the loss of some good, or on account of some expected evil.
2. Deeply serious; depressed; dejected. I Sam. 1.
3. Producing sorrow; exciting grief; mournful; as a sorrowful accident.
4.
“At all events, this was the way in which she began her sorrowful journey, holding her torch before her, and looking carefully at every object along the path.”
hither ×9 Webster 1828
adverb
1. To this place; used with verbs signifying motion; as, to come hither; to proceed hither; to bring hither
2. hither and thither, to this place and that.
3. To this point; to this argument or topic; to this end.
“said Eurylochus--for he was a wary person, and let no token of harm escape his notice--"my pretty bird, who sent you hither?”
aloft ×9 Webster 1828
adverb [a and loft. See Loft and Luff.]
1. On high; in the air; high above the ground; as, the eagle soars aloft
2. In seamen's language, in the top; at the mast head; or on the higher yards or rigging.
“The moon was now high aloft in the heavens, and threw its bright beams over the plowed field, where as yet there was nothing to be seen.”
morsel ×9 Webster 1828
noun [from Latin morsus, a bite, form mordeo.]
1. A bite; a mouthful; a small piece of food.
Every morsel to a satisfied hunger is only a new labor to a tired digestion.
2.
“I had not swallowed a morsel; but--dear mother, I hope it was no harm--but six of the pomegranate seeds, I am afraid, remained in my mouth."”
brindled ×9 Webster 1828
adjective spotted; variegated with spots of different colors.
“The brindled cow, which has led us hither, will supply us with milk.”
gormandizers ×9 Webster 1828
noun A greedy voracious eater.
“The enchantress was far too cunning to let Ulysses see the mischief which her magic arts had since brought upon the gormandizers.”
whence ×8 Webster 1828
adverb
1. From what place.
WHENCE and what art thou?
2. From what source. whence shall we derive hope? whence comes this honor?
WHENCE hath this man this wisdom? Matthew 13:27.
3. From which premises, principles or facts.
“But, at the sound of Proserpina's shriek, she started, and looked about in every direction, not knowing whence it came, but feeling almost certain that it was her daughter's voice.”
became ×8 Webster 1828
preterit tense of become [See Become.]
“In memory of this good deed, and as a token of his true heart, the fleece of the poor dead ram was miraculously changed to gold, and became one of the most beautiful objects ever seen on earth.”
damsels ×8 Webster 1828
noun A young woman. Formerly, a young man or woman of noble or genteel extraction; as damsel Pepin; damsel Richard, prince of Wales.
“But not one of these leafy damsels had seen Proserpina.”
besought ×8 Webster 1828
besaut'. participle passive of beseech. Entreated; implored; sought by entreaty.
“So Queen Metanira ran to the door, with the poor wailing baby in her arms, and besought Ceres to take charge of it, or, at least, to tell her what would do it good.”
yonder ×8 Webster 1828
YOND, YONDER adjective [G.] Being at a distance within view.
Yonder men are too many for an embassy.
Read thy lot in yon celestial sign.
Yon flowery arbors, YONDER alleys green.
YON, YOND, YONDER, adverb At a distance within vi…
“Yonder is the king, where you see the smoke going up from the altar."”
discern ×8 Webster 1828
verb transitive s as z. [Latin , to separate or distinguish, Gr.]
1. To separate by the eye, or by the understanding. Hence,
2.
“When Cadmus had thrust a passage through the tangled boughs, and made his way into the bower, he did not at first discern the half-hidden cavity.”
bosom ×7 Webster 1828
noun s as z.
1. The breast of a human being and the parts adjacent.
2. The folds or covering of clothes about the breast.
Put thy hand in thy bosom Exodus 4:6.
3.
“Let me hasten onward, and take it to my bosom."”
sceptre ×7 Modern
1. (noun) a ceremonial or emblematic staff 2. (noun) the imperial authority symbolized by a scepter
“But if I return to Iolchos with the prize, then, King Pelias, you must hasten down from your lofty throne, and give me your crown and sceptre."”
clambered ×7 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [from climb, or D. Klampen, to grapple.] To climb with difficulty, or with hands and feet.
“As soon as they could furbish up their helmets and shields, therefore, and gird on their trusty swords, they came thronging to Iolchos, and clambered on board the new galley.”
homeward ×7 Webster 1828
HO'MEWARD
HO'MEWARD-BOUND, adjective Destined for home; returning from a foreign country to the place where the owner resides; as the homeward-bound fleet. We spoke a brig homeward-bound.
“On the homeward voyage, the fourteen youths and damsels were in excellent spirits, as you will easily suppose.”
nostrils ×7 Webster 1828
noun [Thyrl or thirel is an opening or perforation; thirlian, thyrlian, to bore, to perforate, to thrill, to drill. See Drill.] An aperture or passage through the nose.
“These, you will understand, were caused by the breath of the brazen bulls, which was quietly stealing out of their four nostrils, as they lay chewing their cuds.”
hoofs ×7 Webster 1828
noun
1. The horny substance that covers or terminates the feet of certain animals, as horses, oxen, sheep, goats, deer, etc.
2.
“Having got the child on his back, the animal gave a leap into the air, and came down so like a feather that Europa did not know when his hoofs touched the ground.”
tuft ×7 Webster 1828
noun
1. A collection of small things in a knot or bunch; as a tuft of flowers; a tuft of feathers; a tuft of grass or hair. A tuft of feathers forms the crest of a bird..
2.
“Running towards the tuft of trees, he beheld the head and fiery eyes of an immense serpent or dragon, with the widest jaws that ever a dragon had, and a vast many rows of horribly sharp teeth.”
ringlets ×7 Webster 1828
noun
1. A small ring.
2. A curl; particularly, a curl of hair.
Her golden tresses in wanton ringlets wav'd
3.
“When the work was finished, it turned out to be the figure of a beautiful woman, with a helmet on her head, from beneath which the long ringlets fell down upon her shoulders.”
withered ×7 Webster 1828
participle passive Faded; dried; shrunk.
“Nevertheless, since there was no better to be had, he brought this dry, old withered pomegranate home to the palace, put it on a magnificent golden salver, and carried it up to Proserpina.”
oaken ×7 Webster 1828
adjective o'kn.
1. Made of oak or consisting of oak; as an oaken plank or bench; an oaken bower.
2. Composed of branches of oak; as an oaken garland.
“replied the oaken image, "go, summon all the heroes of Greece."”
shrub ×7 Webster 1828
noun A low dwarf tree; a woody plant of a size less than a tree; or more strictly, a plant with several permanent woody stems, dividing from the bottom, more slender and lower than trees.
Gooseberries and currants are shrubs; oak…
“And as it happened, she had not gone far before she found one of the magnificent flowers which grew on the shrub that Proserpina had pulled up.”
cinder ×7 Webster 1828
noun
1. Small coals or particles of fire mixed with ashes; embers.
2. Small particles of matter, remaining after combustion, in which fire is extinct; as the cinders of a forge.
“Had you acted fairly, you would have been, at this instant, a black cinder, or a handful of white ashes.”
wayside ×6 Webster 1913
1. The side of the way;
the edge or border of a road or path. 2. Of or pertaining to the
wayside; as, wayside flowers.
“There was nothing, now, in which Ceres seemed to feel an interest, unless when she saw children at play, or gathering flowers along the wayside.”
airy ×6 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Consisting of air; as, an airy substance.
2. Relating or belonging to air; high in air; as, an airy flight; airy region.
3. Open to a free current of air; as, an airy situation.
4.
“At length they came within full sight of the palace, which proved to be very large and lofty, with a great number of airy pinnacles upon its roof.”
boughs ×6 Webster 1828
noun bou. The branch of a tree; applied to a branch of size, not to a small shoot.
“When Cadmus had thrust a passage through the tangled boughs, and made his way into the bower, he did not at first discern the half-hidden cavity.”
edifice ×6 Webster 1828
noun [Latin oedificium. See Edify.] A building; a structure; a fabric; but appropriately, a large or splendid building.
“A gush of smoke came from a chimney in the rear of the edifice.”
agreeable ×6 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Suitable; conformable; correspondent; consistent with; as, the practice of virtue is agreeable to the law of God and our own nature.
2.
“How much more agreeable is lamplight or torchlight, more particularly when reflected from diamonds!”
uprooted ×6 Webster 1828
verb transitive [up and root.] To root up; to tear up by the roots; as, to uproot the hills or trees.
“Besides, as you may see for yourself, the river is very boisterous; and if I should chance to stumble, it would sweep both of us away more easily than it has carried off yonder uprooted tree.”
footsteps ×6 Webster 1828
noun
1. A track; the mark or impression of the foot.
2. Token; mark; visible sign of a course pursued; as the footsteps of divine wisdom.
1. Footsteps, plural, example; as, follow the footsteps of good men.
2. Way; course.
“Footsteps, it is true, seemed to be passing and repassing, in other parts of the palace.”
tremble ×6 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Latin tremo.]
1. To shake involuntarily, as with fear, cold or weakness; to quake; to quiver; to shiver; to shudder.
Frighted Turnus trembled as he spoke.
2.
“whispered Medea (for she was ill natured, as all enchantresses are, and wanted to make the bold youth tremble), "what do you think now of your prospect of winning the Golden Fleece?"”
hung ×6 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive hanged or hung.
1. To suspend; to fasten to some fixed object above, in such a manner as to swing or move; as, to hang a thief. Pharaoh hanged the chief baker. Hence,
2.
“According to their account, the tree on which it hung was guarded by a terrible dragon, who never failed to devour, at one mouthful, every person who might venture within his reach.”
box ×6 Webster 1828
noun [Lat. buxus, the tree, and pyxis, a box; Gr. a box and the tree.]
A coffer or chest, either of wood or metal.
“As it approached, Medea tossed the contents of the gold box right down the monster's wide-open throat.”
habitation ×6 Webster 1828
noun [Latin habitatio, from habito, to dwell, from habeo, to hold, or as we say in English, to keep.
1. Act of inhabiting; state of dwelling.
2.
“And by and by there came other people, who chanced to have no homes; and, seeing how pleasant a spot it was, they built themselves huts in the neighborhood of Phoenix's habitation.”
merrily ×6 Webster 1828
adverb [from merry.] With mirth; with gayety and laughter; jovially. [See Mirth and Merry.]
Merrily sing and sport and play.
“There were four other young women, who joined their hands and danced merrily forward, making gestures of obeisance to the strangers.”
nigh ×6 Webster 1828
adjective [G. A preposition signifying to, on or after, that is, approaching, pressing on, making towards; strait, narrow.]
1.
“She was lying down by the wayside, and quietly chewing her cud; nor did she take any notice of the young man until he had approached pretty nigh.”
gleaming ×6 Webster 1828
participle present tense Shooting as rays of light; shining.
GLE'AMING, noun A shoot or shooting of light.
“Gleaming among the venerable oaks, there was a radiance, not like the moonbeams, but rather resembling the golden glory of the setting sun.”
silken ×6 Webster 1828
adjective silk'n.
1. Made of silk; as silken cloth; a silken vail.
2. Like silk; soft to the touch.
3. Soft; delicate; tender; smooth; as mild and silken language.
4.
“He seemed as fond of his three-headed dog as if it had been a sweet little spaniel, with silken ears and curly hair.”
prow ×6 Webster 1828
PROW,noun [Latin prora.]
1. The forepart of a ship.
2. In seamen's language, the beak or pointed cutwater of a xebec or galley. The upper part is usually furnished with a grating platform.
3.
“Orpheus thrummed away briskly, and the galley slid at once into the sea, dipping her prow so deeply that the figure-head drank the wave with its marvelous lips, and rising again as buoyant as a swan.”
gallop ×6 Webster 1828
verb intransitive
1. To move or run with leaps, as a horse to run or move with speed.
But gallop lively down the western hill.
2. To ride with a galloping pace.
We galloped towards the enemy.
3.
“They immediately broke into so swift a gallop, that it seemed rather like flying through the air than running along the earth.”
abode ×6 Webster 1828
preterit tense of abide
ABO'DE, noun [See Abide.]
1. Stay; continuance in a place; residence for a longer or shorter time.
2. A place of continuance; a dwelling; a habitation.
3.
“After Proserpina came, the palace was no longer the same abode of stately artifice and dismal magnificence that it had before been.”
twenty-two ×6 Modern
1. (adjective) being two more than twenty 2. (noun) a .22 caliber firearm (pistol or rifle) 3. (noun) the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty-one and one
“Finally, there stood the twenty-two comrades of Ulysses, looking pretty much the same as when they left the vessel.”
inclined ×6 Webster 1828
participle passive Having a leaning or tendency; disposed.
Inclined plane, in mechanics, is a plane that makes an oblique angle with the plane of the horizon; a sloping plane.
“After this feat, the dragon seemed sensible that some other living creature was within reach, on which he felt inclined to finish his meal.”
errand ×5 Webster 1828
noun
1. A verbal message; a mandate or order; something to be told or done; a communication to be made to some person at a distance.
“You are not yet big and strong enough to set out on such an errand."”
ponderous ×5 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin ponderosus.]
1. Very heavy; weighty; as a ponderous shield; a ponderous load.
2. Important; momentous; as a ponderous project. [This application of the word is unusual.]
3.
“The vessel, you must understand, was so long, and broad, and ponderous, that the united force of all the fifty was insufficient to shove her into the water.”
gushed ×5 Webster 1828
verb intransitive
1. To issue with violence and rapidity, as a fluid; to rush forth as a fluid from confinement; as, blood gushes from a vein in venesection.
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out.
“Another instant, and even the summit of Mount Aetna had become so blue in the distance, that she could scarcely distinguish it from the smoke that gushed out of its crater.”
brim ×5 Webster 1828
noun
1. The rim, lip or broadborder of any vessel or other thing; as the brim of a hat, or of a vessel.
2. The upper edge of a vessel, whether broad or not; as the brim of a cup or glass.
3.
“The mere smell of the bubbles, which effervesced at the brim, was enough to turn a man's beard into pig's bristles, or make a lion's claws grow out of his fingers, or a fox's brush behind him.”
wretch ×5 Webster 1828
noun
1. A miserable person; one sunk in the deepest distress; as a forlorn wretch
2. A worthless mortal; as a contemptible wretch
3. A person sunk in vice; as a profligate wretch
4.
“Thou shalt die, vile wretch, and do no more mischief in the world, by tempting human beings into the vices which make beasts of them."”
proud ×5 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Having inordinate self-esteem; possessing a high or unreasonable conceit of one's own excellence, either of body or mind.
“"Antaeus was our brother, born of that same beloved parent to whom we owe the thews and sinews, as well as the courageous hearts, which made him proud of our relationship.”
enchantments ×5 Webster 1828
noun The act of producing certain wonderful effects by the invocation or aid of demons, or the agency of certain supposed spirits; the use of magic arts, spells or charms; incantation.
The magicians of Egypt did so with their enc…
“The Golden Fleece you shall have, if it lies within the power of my enchantments to get it for you.”
forthwith ×5 Webster 1828
adverb [forth and with.] Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received his sight forthwith Acts 9:18.
“They tried to groan and beg for mercy, but forthwith emitted the most awful grunting and squealing that ever came out of swinish throats.”
bethought ×5 Webster 1828
bethaut; , preterit tense and participle passive of bethink.
“All at once, Jason bethought himself of the galley's miraculous figure-head.”
uproar ×5 Webster 1828
noun
Great tumult; violent disturbance and noise; bustle and clamor.
The Jews who believed not - set all the city in an uproar Acts 17:5.
Horror thus prevail'd, and wild uproar
UPROAR, verb transitive To throw into confusion.
“Beholding them on the horizon, myself and all the people will know that you are coming back victorious, and will welcome you with such a festal uproar as Athens never heard before."”
merriment ×5 Webster 1828
noun Mirth; gayety with laughter or noise; noisy sports; hilarity; frolick.
“When she stopped to question them, they would only laugh the louder, and make new merriment out of the lone woman's distress.”
gleam ×5 Webster 1828
noun [Latin flamma.] The radical sense is to throw, to shoot or dart, and it may be of the same family as clamo, clamor, a shoot of the voice.
1. A shoot of light; a beam; a ray; a small stream of light.
“It was a starry night, with a bright gleam along the eastern edge of the sky, where the moon was soon going to show herself.”
hasten ×5 Webster 1828
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“Let me hasten onward, and take it to my bosom."”
amiable ×5 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin amabilis; from amo, to love.]
1. Lovely; worth of love; deserving of affection; applied usually to persons. But in Psalms 84:1, there is an exception, 'How amiable are the tabernacles, O Lord.'
2.
“And then it was delightful to witness the gratitude of this amiable bull, and how he was so full of joy and thankfulness that he capered higher than ever.”
murmur ×5 Webster 1828
noun [Latin See the Verb.] A low sound continued or continually repeated, as that of a stream running in a stony channel, or that of flame.
Black melancholy sits,
Deepens the murmur of the falling floods,
And breathes a browne…
“Then the voice melted again into the indistinct murmur of the rustling leaves, and died gradually away.”
capered ×5 Webster 1828
verb intransitive To leap; to skip or jump; to prance; to spring.
CAPER, noun A leap; a skip; a spring; as in dancing or mirth, or in the frolick of a goat or lamb.
CAPER, noun The bud of the caper-bush, which is much used for…
“Then they quickened their pace, and capered for joy at the thought of the savory banquet at which they hoped to be guests.”
begone ×5 Webster 1828
BEGONE. Go away; depart. These two words have been improperly united. Be retains the sense of a verb, and gone, that of a participle.
“Assume your proper shapes, gormandizers, and begone to the sty!"”