The Odyssey
Homer, tr. William Cullen Bryant (1871) · Pre-Reading Vocabulary · prepared by Vocabularium
Match guide. Of this book’s 111,921 words of running text, a reader who knows the 3,000 most common English words can already read 83% — one who knows 6,000 reads 89%. The lists below close most of the remaining gap.
Words Worth Knowing Anywhere
High School (69 words)
isle ×96 Webster 1828
ISLE
ILE, noun ile. [Latin insula.]
1. A tract of land surrounded by water, or a detached portion of land embosomed in the ocean, in a lake or river.
The isles shall wait for his law. Isaiah 42:4.
2. A passage in a church.
“All the chiefs who rule The isles, Dulichium, Samos, and the groves That shade Zacynthus, and who bear the sway In rugged Ithaca, have come to woo My mother, and from day to day consume My substance.”
dwell ×76 Webster 1828
verb intransitive preterit tense dwelled, usually contracted into dwelt. [See Dally.]
1. To abide as a permanent resident, or to inhabit for a time; to live in a place; to have a habitation for some time or permanence.
God shall…
“Two tribes there are; one dwells beneath The rising, one beneath the setting sun.”
spear ×67 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.
“In her hand she bore the spear, And seemed the stranger Mentes, he who led The Taphians.”
comrade ×61 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.
““Polites then, a chief the most beloved And most discreet of all my comrades, spake:— “ ‘Someone is here, my friends, who sweetly sings, Weaving an ample web, and all the floor Rings to her voice.”
banquet ×59 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…
“He saved them not, Though earnestly he strove; they perished all, Through their own folly; for they banqueted, Madmen!”
sorrow ×58 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.
““Onward we sailed, with sorrow in our hearts For our lost friends, though glad to be reprieved From death.”
sage ×56 Webster 1828
noun A plant of the genius Salvia, of several species; as the officinalis, or common large sage of several varieties; the tomentosa or balsamic sage; the auriculata, or sage of virtue; and the pomifera.
SAGE, adjective [Latin…
“From her chamber o’er the hall The daughter of Icarius, the sage queen Penelope, had heard the heavenly strain, And knew its theme.”
cloak ×55 Webster 1828
CLOAK. [See Cloke.]
“Meantime had Circè bathed My comrades at the palace, and with oil Anointed them, and robed them in fair cloaks And tunics.”
slain ×54 Webster 1828
participle passive of slay; so written for slayen. Killed.
“We sent the herald Argicide, Bidding him neither slay the chief nor woo His queen, for that Orestes, when he came To manhood and might claim his heritage, Would take due vengeance for Atrides slain.”
limb ×54 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.
“Forthwith Fell from their limbs the bristles which had grown All over them, when mighty Circè gave At first the baleful potion.”
flock ×53 Webster 1828
noun [Latin floccus. It is the same radically as flake, and applied to wool or hair, we write it lock. See Flake.]
1. A company or collection; applied to sheep and other small animals.
“Thither the souls of those who died will flock In multitudes.”
lest ×50 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.
“And if thou shouldst delay beside the rock To take up arms, I fear lest once again She fall on thee with all her heads, and seize As many men.”
garment ×44 Webster 1828
noun Any article of clothing, as a coat, a gown, etc. Garments, in the plural, denotes clothing in general; dress.
No man putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment Matthew 9:16.
“They took my garments off, Mantle and cloak, and clothed me in a vest And cloak, the very rags which thou dost see.”
maiden ×42 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…
“Down by the lofty stairs She came, but not alone; there followed her Two maidens.”
ample ×42 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin amplus.]
1. Large; wide; spacious; extended; as ample room. This word carries with it the sense of room or space fully sufficient for the use intended.
2. Great in bulk, or size; as an ample tear.
3.
““Polites then, a chief the most beloved And most discreet of all my comrades, spake:— “ ‘Someone is here, my friends, who sweetly sings, Weaving an ample web, and all the floor Rings to her voice.”
behold ×41 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive beheld' [Latin observo, from servo, to keep.]
1.
“Meanwhile, impatient to behold the smokes That rise from hearths in his own land, he pines And willingly would die.”
wandering ×40 Webster 1828
participle present tense Roving; rambling; deviating from duty.
WANDERING, noun
1. Peregrination; a traveling without a settled course.
2. Aberration; mistaken way; deviation from rectitude; as a wandering from duty.
3.
“For this cause the god Who shakes the shores, although he slay him not, Sends forth Ulysses wandering far away From his own country.”
herd ×40 Webster 1828
noun
1. A collection or assemblage; applied to beasts when feeding or driven together. We say, a herd of horses, oxen, cattle, camels, elephants, bucks, harts, and in Scripture, a herd of swine.
“There might a man who never yields to sleep Earn double wages, first in pasturing herds, And then in tending sheep; for there the fields Grazed in the daytime are by others grazed At night.”
immortal ×39 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin immortalis. See Mortal.]
1. Having no principle of alteration or corruption; exempt from death; having life or being that shall never end; as an immortal soul.
To the King eternal, immortal invisible, the only…
“Let us now consult Together and provide for his return, And Neptune will lay by his wrath, for vain It were for one like him to strive alone Against the might of all the immortal gods.””
bind ×38 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.
“I only kept my dark-hulled ship without, And bound its cable to a jutting rock.”
endure ×37 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin durus, duro.]
1. To last; to continue in the same state without perishing; to remain; to abide.
The Lord shall endure forever.
“canst thou not endure That thus the well-graced poet should delight His hearers with a theme to which his mind Is inly moved?”
sailed ×37 Webster 1828
participle passive Passed in ships or other water craft.
““Six days and nights we sailed; the seventh we came To lofty Laestrigoni with wide gates, The city of Lamos, where, on going forth, The shepherd calls to shepherd entering in.”
obey ×37 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin obedio; Gr.]
1. To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear d…
“Come, let us see them; let us know how much Of gold and silver is concealed in this.’ “Thus speaking to each other, they obeyed The evil counsel.”
seize ×33 Webster 1828
verb transitive
1. To fall or rush upon suddenly and lay hold on; or to gripe or grasp suddenly. The tiger rushes from the thicket and seizes his prey. A dog seizes an animal by the throat.
“He seized and clasped my knees With both his hands in attitude of prayer, And sorrowfully said these winged words:— “ ‘Take me not thither; force me not to go, O foster-child of Jove!”
deity ×30 Webster 1828
noun
1. Godhead; divinity; the nature and essence of the Supreme Being; as, the deity of the Supreme Being is manifest in his works.
2. God; the Supreme Being, or infinite self-existing Spirit.
3.
“I told her faithfully, And then the mighty goddess Circè said:— “ ‘Thus far is well; now needfully attend To what I say, and may some deity Help thee remember it!”
hardship ×30 Webster 1828
noun Toil; fatigue; severe labor or want; whatever oppresses the body.
1. Injury; oppression; injustice.
“Not for him Alone I grieve; the gods have cast on me Yet other hardships.”
thigh ×30 Webster 1828
noun That part of men, quadrupeds and fowls, which is between the leg and the trunk.
As the word signifies, it is the thick part of the lower limbs.
“Hear yet more: When she shall smite thee with her wand, draw forth Thy good sword from thy thigh and rush at her As if to take her life, and she will crouch In fear, and will solicit thine embrace.”
deeds ×29 Modern
1. (noun) performance of moral or religious acts
“So perish all Guilty of deeds like his!”
dwelling ×27 Webster 1828
participle present tense Inhabiting; residing; sojourning; continuing with fixed attention.
DWELL'ING, noun Habitation; place of residence; abode.
Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons. Jeremiah 49:33.
1.
“Now, I pray, Dismiss him not in haste, nor sparingly Bestow your gifts on one in so much need; For in your dwellings is much wealth, bestowed Upon you by the bounty of the gods.””
wander ×26 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [G., to wander to walk, to change, exchange or transform.]
1. To rove; to ramble here and there without any certain course or object in view; as, to wander over the fields; to wander about the town, or about th…
“Standing side by side And looking at each other, thus they said:— “ ‘How wonderfully is our chief revered And loved by all men, wander where he will Into what realm soever!”
doom ×26 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin , to esteem, and perhaps with the root of condemn. See Deem.]
1. To judge. [Unusual.]
Thou didst not doom so strictly.
2.
“’twas the evil doom decreed By some divinity, and too much wine, That wrought my death.”
polished ×26 Webster 1828
participle passive Made smooth and glossy; refined.
“Entering then The lofty halls, he set the spear upright By a tall column, in the armory With polished walls, where rested many a lance Of the large-souled Ulysses.”
slaughter ×25 Webster 1828
noun slaw'ter [See Slay.]
1. In a general sense, a killing. Applied to men, slaughter usually denotes great destruction of life by violent means; as the slaughter of men in battle.
2.
“Some beguiled the time With draughts, while sitting on the hides of beeves Which they had slaughtered.”
mast ×25 Webster 1828
noun A long, round piece of timber, elevated or designed to be raised perpendicularly or nearly so, on the keel of a ship or other vessel, to which the yards, sails and rigging are attached, and by which they are supported.
““Now, when we reached our galley by the shore, We drew it first into the mighty deep, And set the mast and sails, and led on board The sheep, and sorrowfully and in tears Embarked ourselves.”
gracious ×25 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin gratiosus.]
1. Favorable; kind; friendly; as, the envoy met with a gracious reception.
2.
“The gracious Circè counsels us to go.’ “I spake, and easily their generous minds Inclined to me.”
heap ×24 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.
“Next he brought Dishes of roasted meats which yet remained, Part of the banquet of the day before, And heaped the canisters with bread, and mixed The rich wines in a wooden bowl.”
vain ×22 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin vanus; Eng. wan, wane, want.]
1. Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. 1 Peter 1:18.
To your vain answer will you have recourse.
Every man walketh in a vain show.
“Let us now consult Together and provide for his return, And Neptune will lay by his wrath, for vain It were for one like him to strive alone Against the might of all the immortal gods.””
depart ×22 Webster 1828
verb intransitive
1. To go or move from.
DEPART from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. Matthew 25:41.
It is followed by from, or from is implied before the place left.
I will depart to my own land, that is, I will depart from…
“There do cruel men And savage keep him, pining to depart.”
wed ×22 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin , to give bail; a league; probably both are of one family.]
1. To marry; to take for a husband or for wife.
--Since the day I saw thee first, and wedded thee.
2.
“And tell me of my wedded wife, her thoughts And purposes, and whether she remains Yet with my son.”
lid ×22 Webster 1828
LID. noun [Latin claudo, cludo; Gr.; Heb.]
A cover; that which shuts the opening of a vessel or box; as the lid of a chest or trunk; also, the cover of the eye, the membrane which is drawn over the eyeball of an animal at pleasu…
“When she now had reached, With her attendant maids, the upper rooms, She mourned Ulysses, her beloved spouse, And wept, till blue-eyed Pallas closed her lids In gentle slumbers.”
excel ×21 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin excello, the root of which, cello, is not in use.
1. To go beyond; to exceed; to surpass in good qualities or laudable deeds; to outdo.
EXCELling others, these were great;
Thou greater still, must these e…
“Can I forget Godlike Ulysses, who in gifts of mind Excels all other men, and who has brought Large offerings to the gods that dwell in heaven?”
earnest ×20 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.
“He saved them not, Though earnestly he strove; they perished all, Through their own folly; for they banqueted, Madmen!”
wrath ×19 Webster 1828
noun [Latin]
1. Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; as the wrath of Achilles.
When the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased--Esther 2:1.
O Lord--in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2.
2. The effects of anger.
“Of the gods All pitied him save Neptune, who pursued With wrath implacable the godlike chief, Ulysses, even to his native land.”
attendant ×19 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Accompanying; being present, or in the train.
Other suns with their attendant moons.
2. Accompanying, connected with, or immediately following, as consequential; as, intemperance with all its attendant evils.
3.
“When she now had reached, With her attendant maids, the upper rooms, She mourned Ulysses, her beloved spouse, And wept, till blue-eyed Pallas closed her lids In gentle slumbers.”
fearful ×19 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Affected by fear; feeling pain in expectation of evil; apprehensive with solicitude; afraid. I am fearful of the consequences of rash conduct. Hence,
2.
“And then he raised a fearful yell that rang Through all the city.”
dread ×19 Webster 1828
noun Dred. [Latin , to dread; fearful; to tremble. The primary sense is probably to tremble, or to shrink.]
1. Great fear, or apprehension of evil or danger. It expresses more than fear, and less than terror or fright.
“Then calling to my friends, I bade them flay The victims lying slaughtered by the knife, And, burning them with fire, invoke the gods— The mighty Pluto and dread Proserpine.”
foe ×19 Webster 1828
noun fo. [See Fiend.]
1. An enemy; one who entertains personal enmity, hatred, grudge or malice against another.
A man's foes shall be they of his own household. Matthew 10:36.
2.
“I would engage, O blue-eyed Pallas, with three hundred foes, If thou, dread goddess, wouldst but counsel me.””
abundant ×18 Webster 1828
adjective Plentiful; in great quantity; fully sufficient; as an abundant supply. In scripture, abounding; having in great quantity; overflowing with.
The Lord God is abundant in goodness and truth.
“All that day Till set of sun we sat and feasted there Upon the abundant meat and delicate wine; And when the sun went down, and darkness came, We slept upon the shore.”
unwilling ×18 Webster 1828
adjective Not willing; loth; disinclined; reluctant; as an unwilling servant.
“But the force of adverse winds Drove them unwilling thence; they meant no fraud.”
brow ×18 Webster 1828
noun [Latin palpebra.. It is probably contracted from brg, and signifies an edge, border or projection.]
1. The prominent ridge over the eye, forming an arch above the orbit.
“Again he toiled To heave it upward, while the sweat in streams Ran down his limbs, and dust begrimed his brow.”
arose ×17 Webster 1828
The past or preterit tense of the verb, to arise.
“To his mind arose the thought Of that Aegisthus whom the famous son Of Agamemnon, Prince Orestes, slew.”
thirst ×17 Webster 1828
noun thurst. [Latin torreo.]
1. A painful sensation of the throat or fauces, occasioned by the want of drink.
Wherefore is it that thou hast brought us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? Exodus…
“When the calls of thirst And hunger were appeased, the suitors thought Of other things that well become a feast— Song and the dance.”
aloud ×17 Webster 1828
adverb [a and loud; See Loud.]
Loudly; with a loud voice, or great noise.
Cry aloud spare not. Isaiah 58:1.
“Whoever she may be, Woman or goddess, let us call to her.’ “He spake; aloud they called, and forth she came And threw at once the shining doors apart, And bade my comrades enter.”
arrogant ×17 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Assuming; making or having the disposition to make exorbitant claims of rank or estimation; giving one's self an undue degree of importance; haughty; conceited; applied to persons.
2.
“Meanwhile here The arrogant suitors plan to lie in wait For him as he returns, that utterly The stock of great Arcesius from our isle May perish, and its name be heard no more.”
eminent ×17 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin eminens, from emineo.]
1. High; lofty; as an eminent place. Ezekiel 16:24.
2. Exalted in rank; high in office; dignified; distinguished.
“And then the wise Ulysses said: “O King Alcinoüs, eminent o’er all thy race!”
sway ×16 Webster 1828
verb transitive
1. To move or wave; to wield with the hand; as, to sway the scepter.
2. To bias; to cause to lean or incline to one side. Let not temporal advantages sway you from the line of duty.
“All the chiefs who rule The isles, Dulichium, Samos, and the groves That shade Zacynthus, and who bear the sway In rugged Ithaca, have come to woo My mother, and from day to day consume My substance.”
rugged ×16 Webster 1828
adjective [from the root of rug, rough, which see.]
1. Rough; full of asperities on the surface; broken into sharp or irregular points or crags, or otherwise uneven; as a rugged mountain; a rugged road.
2.
“All the chiefs who rule The isles, Dulichium, Samos, and the groves That shade Zacynthus, and who bear the sway In rugged Ithaca, have come to woo My mother, and from day to day consume My substance.”
rite ×16 Webster 1828
noun [Latin ritus.]
The manner of performing divine or solemn service as established by law, precept or custom; formal act of religion, or other solemn duty.
“Nor was the swineherd careless of the rites Due to the gods—such was his piety.”
spoil ×16 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin , to pull asunder, to tear, to strip, to peel.]
1. To plunder; to strip by violence; to rob; with of; as, to spoil one of his goods or possessions.
My sons their old unhappy sire despise, Spoild of his king…
“But thou shalt keep thy wealth, And may no son of violence come to make A spoil of thy possessions while men dwell In Ithaca.”
monarch ×16 Webster 1828
noun [Gr. sole, and a chief.]
1. The prince or ruler of a nation, who exercises all the powers of government without control, or who is vested with absolute sovereign power; an emperor, king or prince invested with
an unlimited p…
“One full month The monarch kept me with him, and inquired Of all that might concern the fate of Troy, The Argive fleet, and the return to Greece, And just as it befell I told him all.”
mantle ×16 Webster 1828
noun [Gr. a cloke.]
1. A kind of cloke or loose garment to be worn over other garments.
The herald and children are clothed with mantles of satin.
2. A cover.
Well covered with the night's black mantle
3.
“I remained, endured, And covered with my mantle lay within My galley, while the furious whirlwind bore Back to the Aeolian isle our groaning crews.”
upright ×15 Webster 1828
adjective upri'te or up'rite. [up and right. This word is marked in books with the accent on the first syllable.
“Entering then The lofty halls, he set the spear upright By a tall column, in the armory With polished walls, where rested many a lance Of the large-souled Ulysses.”
cheerful ×15 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.
“Noisily, meanwhile, The suitors revelled in the shadowy halls; And thus Telemachus, the prudent, spake:— “Ye suitors of my mother, insolent And overbearing; cheerful be our feast, Not riotous.”
gladly ×15 Webster 1828
adverb [See Glad.] With pleasure; joyfully; cheerfully.
The common people heard him gladly Mark 12:37.
“The galley shot Forth from these beetling rocks into the sea Full gladly; all the others perished there.”
gaze ×15 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…
“He held in hand A naked bow, a shaft upon the string, And fiercely gazed, like one about to send The arrow forth.”
vengeance ×14 Webster 1828
noun venj'ance. [Latin vindico.]
The infliction of pain on another, in return for an injury or offense.
“We sent the herald Argicide, Bidding him neither slay the chief nor woo His queen, for that Orestes, when he came To manhood and might claim his heritage, Would take due vengeance for Atrides slain.”
veil ×14 Webster 1828
noun [Latin velum.
1. A cover; a curtain; something to intercept the view and lude an object.
2. A cover; a disguise. [See Vail.
“Round her loins She clasped a shining zone of gold, and hung A veil upon her forehead.”
departed ×14 Modern
1. (adjective) dead 2. (adjective) well in the past 3. (noun) someone who is no longer alive
“The soul of swift Aeacides Over the meadows thick with asphodel Departed with long strides, well pleased to hear From me the story of his son’s renown.”
steer ×14 Webster 1828
noun A young male of the ox kind or common ox. It is rendered in Dutch, a bull; but in the United States, this name is generally given to a castrated male of the ox kind, from two to four years old.
With solemn pomp then sacrific…
“Steer thou thy gallant barque Far from the isles; sail only in the night.”
College (41 words)
winged ×65 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.
“He came, and taking her right hand received The brazen spear, and spake these winged words:— “Hail, stranger!”
discreet ×52 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin , Gr. It is sometimes written discrete; the distinction between discreet and discrete are arbitrary, but perhaps not entirely useless. The literal sense is, separate, reserved, wary, hence discerning.]
1.
““Polites then, a chief the most beloved And most discreet of all my comrades, spake:— “ ‘Someone is here, my friends, who sweetly sings, Weaving an ample web, and all the floor Rings to her voice.”
lofty ×50 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.
“Entering then The lofty halls, he set the spear upright By a tall column, in the armory With polished walls, where rested many a lance Of the large-souled Ulysses.”
wrought ×45 Webster 1828
preterit tense and participle passive of work. raut.
1. Worked; formed by work or labor; as wrought iron.
2. Effected; performed.
She hath wrought a good work upon me. Matthew 26:10.
3. Effected; produced.
“Someone there, Goddess or woman, weaving busily An ample web, sang sweetly as she wrought.”
weep ×43 Webster 1828
verb intransitive preterit tense and participle passive wept. Weeped, I believe is never used. [See Whoop. The primary sense is to cry out.]
1. To express sorrow, grief or anguish by outcry. This is the original sense.
“When she now had reached, With her attendant maids, the upper rooms, She mourned Ulysses, her beloved spouse, And wept, till blue-eyed Pallas closed her lids In gentle slumbers.”
swine ×40 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.
“Then instantly She touched them with a wand, and shut them up In sties, transformed to swine in head and voice, Bristles and shape, though still the human mind Remained to them.”
slay ×39 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.
“We sent the herald Argicide, Bidding him neither slay the chief nor woo His queen, for that Orestes, when he came To manhood and might claim his heritage, Would take due vengeance for Atrides slain.”
perished ×38 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Latin pereo, supposed to be compounded of per and eo, to go; literally, to depart wholly.]
1. To die; to lose life in any manner; applied to animals.
“He saved them not, Though earnestly he strove; they perished all, Through their own folly; for they banqueted, Madmen!”
inquire ×36 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.
“To Sparta I will send him and the sands Of Pylos, to inquire for the return Of his dear father.”
deem ×34 Webster 1828
verb transitive
1. To think; to judge; to be of opinion; to conclude on consideration; as, he deems it prudent to be silent.
For never can I deem him less than god.
The shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country.
“Now let me speak of what the gods reveal, And what I deem will surely come to pass, Although I am no seer and have no skill In omens drawn from birds.”
slew ×33 Webster 1828
preterit tense of slay.
“To his mind arose the thought Of that Aegisthus whom the famous son Of Agamemnon, Prince Orestes, slew.”
illustrious ×33 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin illustris.]
1. Conspicuous; distinguished by the reputation of greatness; renowned; eminent; as an illustrious general or magistrate; an illustrious prince.
2.
“Again Telemachus, the prudent, spake:— “Since thou dost ask me, stranger, know that once Rich and illustrious might this house be called While yet the chief was here.”
rejoice ×33 Webster 1828
verb intransitive rejois'.
To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth…
“Afterward he took her hand And said: ‘Rejoice, O maiden, in our love, For with the year’s return shalt thou bring forth Illustrious sons; the embraces of the gods Are not unfruitful.”
nay ×29 Webster 1828
adverb [a contracted word, to deny]
1. No; a word that expresses negation.
I tell you nay but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3.
2.
“Nay, thou like them Wilt rather find thyself constrained to stay.”
haste ×28 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.
“With eager haste She called her husband, King Antiphates, From council.”
flung ×28 Webster 1828
preterit tense and participle passive of fling.
Several statues the Romans themselves flung into the river.
“I flung him down Before the ship, encouraging my men With cheerful words, and thus I said to each:— “ ‘My friends, we will not, wretched as we are, Go down to Pluto’s realm before our time.”
heed ×27 Webster 1828
verb transitive To mind; to regard with care; to take notice of; to attend to; to observe.
With pleasure Argus the musician heeds.
HEED, noun Care; attention.
With wanton heed and giddy cunning.
1.
“And now, if thou wilt heed me, I will give A counsel for thy good.”
bard ×27 Webster 1828
noun
1. A poet and a singer among the ancient Celts; one whose occupation was to compose and sing verses, in honor of the heroic achievements of princes and brave men.
“Silent all They sat and listened to the illustrious bard, Who sang of the calamitous return Of the Greek host from Troy, at the command Of Pallas.”
valiant ×23 Webster 1828
adjective val'yant. [Latin valeo, to be strong.]
1. Primarily, strong; vigorous in body; as a valiant fencer.
2.
“And she became a mother, and brought forth Pelias and Neleus, valiant ministers Of mighty Jupiter.”
spacious ×22 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin spatiosus.]
1. Wide; roomy; having large or ample room; not narrow; as a spacious church; a spacious hall or drawing room.
2. Extensive; vast in extent; as the spacious earth; the spacious ocean.
“Are ye so eager for an evil fate, That ye must go where Circè dwells, who waits To turn us into lions, swine, or wolves, Forced to remain and guard her spacious house?”
grieve ×22 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin gravo, from gravis.]
1. To give pain of mind to; to afflict; to wound the feelings. Nothing grieves a parent like the conduct of a profligate child.
2.
“I should not grieve So deeply for his loss if he had fallen With his companions on the field of Troy, Or midst his kindred when the war was o’er.”
embark ×20 Webster 1828
verb transitive
1. To put or cause to enter on board a ship or other vessel or boat. The general embarked his troops and their baggage.
2. To engage a person in any affair.
““Now, when we reached our galley by the shore, We drew it first into the mighty deep, And set the mast and sails, and led on board The sheep, and sorrowfully and in tears Embarked ourselves.”
woe ×20 Webster 1913
1. Grief; sorrow; misery; heavy calamity. 2. Woeful; sorrowful. 3. A curse; a malediction.
“So spake the swineherd, while Ulysses ate The flesh with eager appetite, and drank The wine in silence, meditating woe To all the suitors.”
strife ×20 Webster 1828
noun [See Strive.]
1. Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts.
“Wilt thou not even in death forget the wrath Caused by the strife for those accursed arms?”
perish ×19 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [Latin pereo, supposed to be compounded of per and eo, to go; literally, to depart wholly.]
1. To die; to lose life in any manner; applied to animals.
“So perish all Guilty of deeds like his!”
ox ×18 Webster 1828
noun plural oxen. pronoun ox'n.
The male of the bovine genus of quadrupeds, castrated and grown to his size or nearly so. The young male is called in America a steer. The same animal not castrated is called a bull.
“upon the oxen of the Sun— The all-o’erlooking Sun, who cut them off From their return.”
wretched ×18 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Very miserable; sunk into deep affliction or distress, either from want, anxiety or grief.
The wretched find no friends.
2. Calamitous; very afflicting; as the wretched condition of slaves in Algiers.
3.
“Now the most wretched of the sons of men Is he to whom they say I owe my birth.”
solemn ×18 Webster 1828
adjective sol'em. [Latin solennis, form soleo, to be accustomed, to use, that is, to hold on or continue, as we have wont.]
1. Anniversary; observed once a year with religious ceremonies.
“With me they slew My comrades, as a herd of white-toothed swine Are slaughtered for some man of large estates, Who makes a wedding or a solemn feast.”
afar ×17 Webster 1828
adverb [a and far. See Far.]
1. At a distance in place; to or from a distance; used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off.
2.
“And then the goddess, blue-eyed Pallas, said: “Of simple mind art thou, unless perchance Thou comest from afar, if thou dost ask What country this may be.”
mischief ×17 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.
“Yet, my friends, Repair the mischief, for ye have the power.’ “Thus with submissive words I spake, but they Sat mute, the father only answered me:— “ ‘Hence with thee!”
weeping ×17 Webster 1828
participle present tense Lamenting; shedding tears.
WEEPING, noun Lamentation.
“In his car he seated me, And bore me weeping home.”
raft ×17 Webster 1828
noun [Gr. to sew that is, to fasten together, and allied to reeve; or Gr. whence a flooring. See Rafter and Roof.]
An assemblage of boards, planks or pieces of timber fastened together horizontally and floated down a stream; a fl…
“On a raft, Made firm with bands, he shall depart and reach, After long hardships, on the twentieth day, The fertile shore of Scheria, on whose isle Dwell the Phaeacians, kinsmen of the gods.”
prudent ×16 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…
“So Hermes said; his prudent words moved not The purpose of Aegisthus who now pays The forfeit of his many crimes at once.””
harp ×16 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.
“And then a herald brought A shapely harp, and gave it to the hands Of Phemius, who had only by constraint Sung to the suitors.”
duly ×16 Webster 1828
adverb [from due.]
1. Properly; fitly; in a suitable or becoming manner; as, let the subject be duly considered.
2. Regularly; at the proper time; as, a man duly attended church with his family.
““All this was duly done; yet was the news Of our return from Hades not concealed From Circè.”
fleece ×15 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.
“He, lapped in the soft fleeces, all night long.”
deceive ×15 Webster 1828
verb transitive [L to take asid, to ensnare.]
1. To mislead the mind; to cause to err; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose on; to delude.
Take heed that no man deceive you.
“For as the gates of hell do I detest The man who, tempted by his poverty, Deceives with lying words.”
roam ×15 Webster 1828
verb intransitive [If m is radical, this word seems to be connected with ramble, Latin ramus.]
To wander; to ramble; to rove; to walk or move about from place to place without any certain purpose or direction.
“’Twas in truth the saddest sight, Whatever I have suffered and where’er Have roamed the waters, that mine eyes have seen.”
mule ×15 Webster 1828
noun [Latin mulus.]
1. A quadruped of a mongrel breed, usually generated between an ass and a mare, sometimes between a horse and a she-ass. But the name is applied to any animal produced by a mixture of different species.
2.
“And Iphitus had come in search of steeds Which he had lost—twelve mares, and under them Twelve hardy mules, their foals.”
ponder ×14 Webster 1828
verb transitive [Latin pondero, from pondo, pondus, a pound; pendeo, pendo, to weigh.]
1. To weigh in the mind; to consider and compare the circumstances or consequences of an event, or the importance of the reasons for or again…
“I pondered till at last This seemed the wisest—to return at once To my good ship upon the ocean-side, And give my crew their meal, and send them forth To view the region.”
boar ×14 Webster 1828
noun [Latin aper, and verres.] The male of swine not castrated.
“Upon his breast he wore The formidable baldric, on whose band Of gold were sculptured marvels—forms of bears, Wild boars, grim lions, battles, skirmishings, And death by wounds, and slaughter.”
Rare & Period Words
spake ×464 Webster 1828
preterit tense of speak; nearly obsolete. We not use spoke.
“who didst not fear To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof, Jove and the other gods avenge them thus.’ “I spake; the anger in his bosom raged More fiercely.”
suitors ×195 Webster 1828
noun One that sues or prosecutes a demand of right in law, as a plaintiff, petitioner or appellant.
1. One who attends a court, whether plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, appellant, witness, juror and the like.
“Meanwhile the suitors on their ocean-path Went in their galley, plotting cruelly To slay Telemachus.”
swineherd ×73 Webster 1828
noun [swine and herd.] A keeper of swing.
“Telemachus is there, with whom I sent The herdsman and the swineherd, bidding them Make ready with all speed our evening meal.””
galley ×61 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.
“It fell behind Our black-prowed galley, where it almost struck The rudder’s end.”
blue-eyed ×55 Webster 1828
adjective Having blue eyes.
“The blue-eyed Pallas, having spoken thus, Departed o’er the barren deep.”
meantime ×54 Webster 1913
1. The intervening time] as, in the
meantime (or mean time). 2. In the intervening time; during the
interval.
“Meantime, groaning and in pain, And groping with his hands, he moved away The rock that barred the entrance.”
bade ×54 Webster 1828
BADE, the past tense of bid. [See Bid.]
“I bade my comrades now decide by lot Which of them all should dare, along with me, To lift the stake, and with its point bore out Our enemy’s eye, when softly wrapped in sleep.”
sagacious ×53 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin sagax, from sagus, wise, foreseeing; saga, a wise woman; sagio, to perceive readily. The latter signifies wise, prudent, sage, and an essay, which unites this word with seek, and Latin sequor.]
1.
“Ulysses, the sagacious, answered thus:— “O King Alcinoüs, most renowned of men!”
barque ×52 Webster 1828
noun A small ship; but appropriately, a ship which carries three masts without a mizen top sail. The English mariners, in the coal trade, apply this name to a broadsterned ship without a figure-head.
Water-barks, in Holland, are…
“Think not I would spare Thee or thy comrades to avoid the wrath Of Jupiter, unless it were my choice; But say—for I would know—where hast thou left Thy gallant barque in landing?”
beheld ×45 Webster 1828
preterit tense and participle passive of behold, which see.
“All within The palace were struck mute as they beheld The man before them.”
abode ×44 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.
“For his abode was in the thick-grown grove Of Phoebus.”
godlike ×40 Webster 1828
adjective Resembling God; divine.
1. Resembling a deity, or heathen divinity.
2. Of superior excellence; as godlike virtue; a godlike prince.
“Thus Ulysses prayed:— “Aretè, daughter of the godlike chief Rhexenor!”
bestow ×38 Webster 1913
1. To lay up in store; to
deposit for safe keeping; to stow; to place; to put. 2. To use; to apply; to devote, as time or strength
in some occupation. 3. To expend, as money. 4. To give or confer; to impart; -- with on or
upon.
“I will tell thee, but do thou Bestow in turn some hospitable gift, As thou hast promised.”
morn ×38 Webster 1828
noun The first part of the day; the morning; a word used chiefly in poetry.
And blooming peach shall ever bless thy morn
““And when at length the daughter of the Dawn, The rosy-fingered Morn, appeared, we walked Around the isle, admiring as we went.”
smote ×37 Webster 1828
preterit tense of smite.
“With speed they went On board and manned the benches, took in hand The oars and smote with them the hoary deep.”
cyclops ×35 Webster 1828
noun [Gr., a circle, an eye.] In fabulous history, certain giants, the sons of Neptune and Amshitrite, who had but one circular eye in the midst of the forehead.
“And then the Cyclops seized another stone, Far larger than the last, and swung it round, And cast it with vast strength.”
steeds ×35 Webster 1828
noun A horse, or a horse for state or war. [This word is not much used in common discourse. It is used in poetry and descriptive prose, and is elegant.]
Stout are our men, and warlike are our steeds.
“Then the Ciconians called To their Ciconian neighbors, braver men Than they, and more in number, whose abode Was on the mainland, trained to fight from steeds, Or, if need were, on foot.”
ere ×34 Webster 1828
adverb Before; sooner than.
ERE sails were spread new oceans to explore.
The nobleman saith to him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
“And now approached the King Of Fire, returning ere he reached the isle Of Lemnos, for the Sun in his behalf Kept watch and told him all.”
gallant ×34 Webster 1828
adjective [Eng. could; Latin gallus, a cock.]
1. Gay; well dressed; showy; splendid; magnificent.
Neither shall gallant ships pass thereby.
“He heeded not the offering; even then He planned the wreck of all my gallant ships, And death of my dear comrades.”
tis ×34 Webster 1828
a contraction of it is.
“A rugged region ’tis, but nourishes Nobly its youths, nor have I ever seen A sweeter spot on earth.”
beeves ×33 Webster 1828
noun plural of beef. Cattle; quadrupeds of the bovine genus, called in England, black cattle.
“There portico and court and hall were thronged With people, young and old in multitude; And there Alcinoüs sacrificed twelve sheep, Eight white-toothed swine, and two splayfooted beeves.”
thyself ×33 Webster 1828
pronoun [thy and self.] A pronoun used after thou, to express distinction with emphasis. 'Thou thyself shalt go; ' that is, thou shalt go and no other.
“If I am thine, and thou dost own thyself My father, grant that this Ulysses ne’er May reach his native land!”
tunic ×31 Webster 1828
noun [Latin tunica. See Town and Tun.]
1. A kind of waistcoat or under garment worn by men in ancient Rome and the east. In the later ages of the republic, the tunic was a long garment with sleeves.
2.
“Now when the maids Had seen him bathed, and had anointed him With oil, and put his sumptuous mantle on, And tunic, forth he issued from the bath, And came to those who sat before their wine.”
suitor ×30 Webster 1828
noun One that sues or prosecutes a demand of right in law, as a plaintiff, petitioner or appellant.
1. One who attends a court, whether plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, appellant, witness, juror and the like.
“Penelope perceived him as he stepped Across the threshold, and bespake him thus:— “Why, herald, have the suitor princes sent Thee hither?”
oars ×30 Webster 1828
noun An instrument for rowing boats, being a piece of timber round or square at one end, and flat at the other.
“With speed they went On board and manned the benches, took in hand The oars and smote with them the hoary deep.”
nobly ×29 Webster 1828
adverb
1. Of noble extraction; descended from a family of rank; as nobly born or descended.
2. With greatness of soul; heroically; with magnanimity; as a deed nobly done. He nobly preferred death to disgrace.
3.
“A rugged region ’tis, but nourishes Nobly its youths, nor have I ever seen A sweeter spot on earth.”
aught ×29 Webster 1828
noun aut.[Latin qui, quae, quod, quid, what, to be the same word varied in orthography. This word should not be written ought.]
1. Any thing, indefinitely.
But go, my son, and see if aught be wanting.
2.
“Show me, I pray, thy city; and bestow Some poor old robe to wrap me—if, indeed, In coming hither, thou hast brought with thee Aught poor or coarse.”
haply ×28 Webster 1828
adverb By chance; perhaps; it may be.
Lest haply ye be found to fight against God. Acts 5:39.
1. By accident; casually.
“With loud noise The Cyclops drove that well-fed flock afield, While I was left to think of many a plan To do him mischief and avenge our wrongs, If haply Pallas should confer on me That glory.”
tidings ×28 Webster 1828
noun plural News; advice; information; intelligence; account of what has taken place, and was not before known.
I shall make my master glad with these tidings
Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all…
“When he heard The unwelcome tidings, planning his revenge, He hastened to his smithy, where he forged Chains that no power might loosen or might break, Made to hold fast forever.”
dwelt ×26 Webster 1913
1. of
Dwell.
“Here dwelt A seer named Telemus Eurymides, Great, good, and eminent in prophecy, And prophesying he grew old among The Cyclops.”
twas ×26 Webster 1828
a contraction of it was.
“’Twas my intent To see the owner of the flocks and prove His hospitality.”
thence ×26 Webster 1828
adverb thens.
1. From that place.
When you depart thence shake off the dust of your feet. Mark 6:1.
It is more usual, though not necessary, to use from before thence
Then will I send and fetch thee from thence Genesis 27:9.
2.
“Entering the depths Of the great sea, the goddess brought us thence Four skins of sea-calves newly flayed, that thus We might deceive her father.”
oft ×23 Webster 1828
adverb Often; frequently; not rarely. It was formerly used in prose and may be so used still; but is more generally used in poetry.
OFT she rejects, but never one offends.
“He saw Gladly the steaming laver, for not oft Had he been cared for thus, since he had left The dwelling of the nymph with amber hair, Calypso, though attended while with her As if he were a god.”
seer ×23 Webster 1828
noun. [from see.]
1. One who sees; as a seer of visions.
2. A prophet; a person who forsees future events.
“Here dwelt A seer named Telemus Eurymides, Great, good, and eminent in prophecy, And prophesying he grew old among The Cyclops.”
fair-haired ×23 Webster 1913
1. Having fair
or light-colored hair.
“When at length The fair-haired Morning brought the third day round, We raised the masts, and, spreading the white sails To take the wind, we sat us down.”
galleys ×23 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.
“When we reached The island where together in a fleet Our other galleys lay, we found our friends Sitting where they had waited long in grief.”
perchance ×23 Webster 1828
adverb [per and chance.] By chance; perhaps.
“For there is naught More sweet and dear than our own native land And parents, though perchance our lot be cast In a rich home, yet far from our own kin And in a foreign land.”
sumptuous ×22 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin sumptuosus.] Costly; expensive; hence, splendid; magnificent; as a sumptuous house or table; sumptuous apparel.
We are too magnificent and sumptuous in our tables and attendance.
“Now when the maids Had seen him bathed, and had anointed him With oil, and put his sumptuous mantle on, And tunic, forth he issued from the bath, And came to those who sat before their wine.”
bestowed ×21 Webster 1828
participle present tense Given gratuitously; conferred; laid out; applied; deposited for safe-keeping.
“And I, if thou relate The story rightly, will at once declare To all that largely hath some bounteous god Bestowed on thee the holy gift of song.””
consort ×21 Webster 1828
noun [Latin , sort, state, kind.]
1. A companion; a partner; an intimate associate; particularly, a partner of the bed; a wife or husband.
He single chose to live, and shunnd to wed, well pleased to want a consort of his bed.
2.
“Alcinoüs laid him down in a recess Within his lofty palace, near to whom The queen his consort graced the marriage-bed.”
hastened ×21 Webster 1828
participle passive Moved rapidly; accelerated; urged with speed.
“He hastened home In bitterness of heart, but when he reached The threshold stopped.”
brazen ×20 Webster 1828
adjective brazn. Made of brass; as a brazen helmet.
1. Pertaining to brass; proceeding from brass; as a brazen din.
2.
“They formed their lines, and fought at our good ships, Where man encountered man with brazen spears.”
mingled ×20 Webster 1828
participle passive Mixed; united promiscuously.
“Then from his mouth came bits of human flesh Mingled with wine, and from his drunken throat Rejected noisily.”
hallowed ×20 Webster 1828
participle passive Consecrated to a sacred use, or to religious exercises; treated as sacred; reverenced.
“The hallowed night came down, And there upon the ocean-beach we slept.”
hearth ×19 Webster 1828
noun harth. A pavement or floor of brick or stone in a chimney, on which a fire is made to warm a room, and from which there is a passage for the smoke to ascend.
“With generous intent, And speaking to the assembly, he began:— “Alcinoüs, this is not a seemly sight— A stranger sitting on the hearth among The cinders.”
beggar ×19 Webster 1828
noun [See Beg.] One that lives by asking alms, or makes it his business to beg for charity.
1. One who supplicates with humility; a petitioner; but in this sense rarely used, as the word has become a term of contempt.
2.
“Another man he seemed in that disguise— A beggar, though when at the Achaian fleet So different was the semblance that he wore.”
nymph ×18 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…
“He saw Gladly the steaming laver, for not oft Had he been cared for thus, since he had left The dwelling of the nymph with amber hair, Calypso, though attended while with her As if he were a god.”
wretch ×18 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.
“Grievest thou for thy master, who has lost His eye, put out by a deceitful wretch And his vile crew, who stupefied me first With wine—this Noman—who, if right I deem, Has not escaped from death.”
rejoined ×18 Webster 1828
participle passive Joined again; reunited.
“And then the sage Penelope rejoined: “If thus the immortals make thy later age The happier, there is hope that thou wilt find Escape from evil in the years to come.””
valor ×18 Webster 1828
noun [Latin valor valeo, to be strong, to be worth.]
Strength of mind in regard to danger; that quality which enables a man to encounter danger with firmness; personal bravery; courage; intrepidity; prowess.
When valor preys on…
“And thus discreet Telemachus replied: “Nay, if thou wilt, my father, thou shalt see That by no lack of valor shall I cast, As thou hast said, dishonor on thy race.””
matron ×17 Webster 1828
noun [Latin matrona; from mater, mother.]
An elderly married woman, or an elderly lady.
“No one within his dwellings, maids or men, Knew of it, save the master and his wife, And matron of the household.”
lamenting ×17 Webster 1828
participle present tense Bewailing; mourning; weeping.
LAMENT'ING, noun A mourning; lamentation.
““Onward we sailed, lamenting bitterly Our comrades slain, yet happy to escape From death ourselves.”
blameless ×17 Webster 1828
adjective Without fault; innocent; guiltless; not meriting censure.
A bishop then must be blameless 1 Timothy 3:2.
Sometimes followed by of.
We will be blameless of this thine oath. Joshua 2:17.
“The noble heralds came and carried them Into the palace of Alcinoüs, where His blameless sons received and ranged them all In fair array before the queenly dame Their mother.”
herdsman ×17 Webster 1828
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“There both the master of the herd And herdsman know no lack of cheese, or flesh, Or of sweet milk; for there the herds yield milk The whole year round.”
shadowy ×16 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Full of shade; dark; gloomy.
This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods. Shak.
2. Not brightly luminous; faintly light.
More pleasant light
Shadowy sets off the face of things. Milton.
3.
“For seventeen days I held my steady course across the deep, And on the eighteenth day the shadowy heights Of your own isle appeared, and then my heart, Ill-fated as I was, rejoiced.”
slumber ×16 Webster 1828
verb intransitive
1. To sleep lightly; to doze. He that keepth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalms 121:4.
2. To sleep. slumber is used as synonymous with sleep, particularly in the poetic and eloquent style.
3.
“Yet they will hardly take Even a short slumber there, though side by side, Enamored as they are; nor will they both Be drowsy very soon.”
smite ×16 Webster 1828
verb transitive preterit tense smote; participle passive smitten, smil. [This verb is the Latin mitto.]
1.
“From his room Aretus brought A laver filled with water in one hand, And in the other hand a canister Of cakes, while Thrasymedes, great in war, Stood near with a sharp axe, about to smite The victim.”
raiment ×15 Webster 1828
noun [for arrayment. See Array and Ray.]
1. Clothing in general; vestments; vesture; garments.
Genesis 24:53. Deuteronomy 8:4.
Living, both food and raiment she supplies.
2.
“And there I wore Seven years away, still moistening with my tears The ambrosial raiment which the goddess gave.”
hung ×15 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.
“Pontonoüs mid the guests Placed for the bard a silver-studded throne, Against a lofty column hung his harp Above his head, and taught him how to find And take it down.”
toil ×15 Webster 1828
verb intransitive To labor; to work; to exert strength with pain and fatigue of body or mind, particularly of the body, with efforts of some continuance or duration.
Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.
“But I am now pressed down With toil and sorrow; much have I endured In wars with heroes and on stormy seas.”
portico ×15 Webster 1828
Parodic
Partake
Partook
Periodic
Periodically
Piratically
Pratic
Pratique
Prodigally
Pyritic
Pyrotic
“There portico and court and hall were thronged With people, young and old in multitude; And there Alcinoüs sacrificed twelve sheep, Eight white-toothed swine, and two splayfooted beeves.”
suppliant ×15 Webster 1828
adjective [Latin supplico, to supplicate; sub and plico, to fold. See Comply and Apply.]
1. Entreating; beseeching; supplicating; asking earnestly and submissively.
The rich grow suppliant and the poor grow proud.
2.
“A guest, A suppliant, is a brother, even to him Who bears a heart not easy to be moved.”
avenge ×15 Webster 1828
Avenage
“who didst not fear To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof, Jove and the other gods avenge them thus.’ “I spake; the anger in his bosom raged More fiercely.”
thrice ×15 Webster 1828
adverb [from three; perhaps three, and Latin vice.]
1. Three times.
Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice Matthew 26:34.
2.
“Nor did we put to sea In our good ships until we thrice had called Aloud by name each one of our poor friends Who fell in battle by Ciconian hands.”
nymphs ×15 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…
“Meanwhile the nymphs, the daughters of the God Who bears the aegis, roused the mountain goats, That so our crews might make their morning meal.”
minstrel ×14 Webster 1828
noun A singer and musical performer on instruments. Minstrels were formerly poets as well as musicians, and held in high repute by our rude ancestors.
“The Muse herself Hath taught them song; she loves the minstrel tribe.””
sandals ×14 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.
“He spake; the herald Argicide obeyed, And hastily beneath his feet he bound The fair, ambrosial golden sandals, worn To bear him over ocean like the wind, And o’er the boundless land.”
proud ×14 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Having inordinate self-esteem; possessing a high or unreasonable conceit of one's own excellence, either of body or mind.
“If within Thy courts the wise Ulysses ever burned Fat thighs of beeves or sheep, remember it, And rescue my dear son, and bring to naught The wicked plots of the proud suitor-crew.””
devoured ×14 Webster 1828
participle passive Eaten; swallowed with greediness; consumed; destroyed; wasted; slain.
“those whom in thy rocky cave Thou, in thy brutal fury, hast devoured, Were friends of one not unexpert in war; Amply have thy own guilty deeds returned Upon thee.”
throng ×14 Webster 1828
noun
1. A crowd; a multitude of persons or of living beings pressing or pressed into a close body or assemblage; as a throng of people at a play-house.
2.
“The sea-calves came From ocean in a throng, and laid themselves In rows along the margin of the sea.”
shrewd ×14 Webster 1828
adjective
1. Having the qualities of a shrew; vexatious; troublesome; mischievous. Obs.
2. Sly; cunning; arch; subtil; artful; astute; as a shrewd man.
3. Sagacious; of nice discernment; as a shrewd observer of men.
4.
“In my heart I laughed to think that by the name I took, And by my shrewd device, I had deceived The Cyclops.”
hereafter ×13 Webster 1828
adverb In time to come; in some future time.
1. In a future state.
HERE'AFTER,noun A future state.
'Tis heaven itself that points out an hereafter
“Wicked as thou art, Hereafter who, of all the human race, Will dare approach thee, guilty of such wrong?’ “As thus I spake, he took the cup and drank.”
bosom ×13 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.
“who didst not fear To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof, Jove and the other gods avenge them thus.’ “I spake; the anger in his bosom raged More fiercely.”
dwellers ×12 Webster 1828
noun An inhabitant; a resident of some continuance in a place.
“I laid the city waste And slew its dwellers, carried off their wives And all their wealth and parted them among My men, that none might want an equal share.”
bright-haired ×12 Webster 1828
adjective Having bright hair.
“The maid Admired, and to her bright-haired women spake:— “Listen to me, my maidens, while I speak.”
oar ×12 Webster 1828
noun An instrument for rowing boats, being a piece of timber round or square at one end, and flat at the other.
“So sang the famous bard, while inly pleased Ulysses heard, and pleased were all the rest, Phaeacia’s sons, expert with oar and sail.”
insolent ×12 Webster 1828
adjective Proud and haughty, with contempt of others; overbearing; domineering in power; as an insolent master.
1. Proceeding from insolence; haughty and contemptuous; as insolent words or behavior.
2.
“Would he escape The threatened death, or perish by the hands Of the insolent suitors?”
barques ×12 Webster 1828
noun A small ship; but appropriately, a ship which carries three masts without a mizen top sail. The English mariners, in the coal trade, apply this name to a broadsterned ship without a figure-head.
Water-barks, in Holland, are…
“Thick was the gloom around our barques; the moon Shone not in heaven, the clouds had quenched her light.”
hastening ×12 Webster 1828
participle present tense Urging forward; pushing on; proceeding rapidly.
That state is hastening to ruin, in which no difference is made between good and bad men.
“Meantime Ulysses, hastening from the town, Came to the fair fields of Laertes, tilled With care.”
hoary ×12 Webster 1828
noun [See Hoar.] White or whitish; as the hoary willows.
1. White or gray with age; as hoary hairs; a hoary head.
Reverence the hoary head.
2. Moldy; mossy, or covered with a white pubescence.
“With speed they went On board and manned the benches, took in hand The oars and smote with them the hoary deep.”
hecatombs ×12 Webster 1828
noun [Latin hecatombe; Gr. a hundred, and an ox.]
In antiquity, a sacrifice of a hundred altars, and by a hundred priests.
“I came unwillingly, at Jove’s command; For who of choice would traverse the wide waste Of the salt ocean, with no city near Where men adore the gods with solemn rites And chosen hecatombs.”
naught ×12 Webster 1828
noun Nothing.
Doth Job serve God for naught? Job 1:9.
Thou sellest thy people for naught Psalms 44:12.
To set at naught to slight, to disregard or despise.
Ye have set at naught all my counsel.
“For there is naught More sweet and dear than our own native land And parents, though perchance our lot be cast In a rich home, yet far from our own kin And in a foreign land.”