A Journal of the Plague Year

A Journal of the Plague Year Glossary

abate

to reduce, lessen

abhor

hate; detest

affront

to insult or to offend

Akeldama

In Aramaic, a place in Jerusalem associated with Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Jesus.

alacrity

promptness; with good cheer

antient

obsolete spelling of ancient

apoplectic

greatly excited or angered

apothecary

one who prepares or sells medicines

appoplexies

archaic spelling of apoplexies (strokes)

apprise

to give notice; tell

assize

ordinance dictating weights, measures and prices of articles of consumption

assuage

make less intense; satisfy

audacious

bold; risky; rash

avarice

greed; insatiable desire for wealth

aver

affirm; justify; prove

bitumen

asphalt

brazier

a container for fire

carbuncles

painful local inflammations of the skin and deeper tissues with multiple openings for the discharge of pus and usually necrosis and sloughing of dead tissue

caustick

archaic spelling of caustic (capable of burning)

cavil'd

an abbreviation of caviled (raised trivial and frivolous objection)

censorious

severely critical of others

Chiurgeons

surgeons

colliery

a coal mine and its surrounding buildings

collusion

secret agreement or cooperation, usually for illegal or illicit gain

concourse

a coming together

conflagration

great fire

confuted

overwhelmed in argument; refuted conclusively

conies

rabbits

consternation

amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion

deplorable

detestable

depute

assign or delegate

disconsolate

cheerless; downcast; dejected

dissemble

to hide under a false appearance; to put on the appearance of; simulate

distemper

ailment; disorder. In the Journal, synonymous with the plague.

egress

the action or right of going or coming out; a place or means of going out

enervated

weakened

enjoin

urge or instruct someone to do something

evade

avoid

extenuations

mitigations

fain

willing

ferment

to be in a state of agitation

fomented

promoted the growth or development of; roused; incited

gratis

free; at no cost

impetuosity

impulsiveness

importuning

pressing or urging with troublesome persistence; requesting or begging for urgently

injurious

harmful

intermitted

caused to cease for a time or at intervals; discontinued

intimation

communication; announcement

inveterate

ingrained; deep-seated

joyner

carpenter

judicious

having sound judgment

kersey

twilled woolen fabric, often used for coats

languid

listless; sluggish; weak

lenity

leniency

levities

excessive or unseemly frivolities

malignity

an instance of malignant (evil in nature, influence, or effect; injurious) behavior

mountebank

charlatan; purveyor of quack medicines

obstinate

stubborn

opprobrious

something that brings disgrace; scurrilous

physick

archaic name for medicine

plaister

a medicated or protective dressing

precipitant

cause of an action or event

predestinating

foreordaining to an earthly or eternal lot or destiny by divine decree; predetermining

probity

adherence to the highest principles and ideals; uprightness

profane

unholy; obscene; vulgar

propagated

caused to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area; extended

proviso

a clause in a document making a qualification or a condition

purloyned

archaic spelling for purloined (stolen)

regress

to go back; to return

repine

complain; fret

reproach

shame; rebuke

reproved

scolded or corrected usually gently or with kindly intent; expressed disapproval of

requisite

essential; necessary

ribaldry

crude, offensive behavior; using coarse indecent humor

roupy

pertaining to birds, infected with disease

scorbutick

relating to scurvy (a deficiency of vitamin C)

scruple

a doubt or hesitation of what is morally right

sluice

channel, typically for water

smote

past of smite (to attack or afflict suddenly and injuriously)

soixante

sixty

sot

drunk

specious

deceptive; false

subsistence

the act of sustaining oneself at the minimum level

supine

exhibiting indolent or apathetic inertia or passivity

suppurate

to form or discharge pus

surfeit

an excessive amount

timorous

timid; apprehensive

trumpery

worthless nonsense; trivial or useless articles

upbraid

find fault with

viz.

the abbreviation of videlicet (Latin) meaning namely, that is, or to wit

weir

a barrier across a river designed to alter its flow

whither

to what place

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