Dream of the Red Chamber Glossary

Dream of the Red Chamber Glossary

Apropos of Nothing

For no particular reason

Aspirations

Ambitions

Banished

Expelled formally

Begonia

Plant with brightly-colored petals

Brocade

Rich fabric with a silky finish and a raised pattern

Calligraphy

Artistic handwriting

Concubine

Woman who lives with a man as his wife Ina polygamous household where there is a wife already

Congenial

Pleasant, easy-going

Contaminate

Pollute

Conundrum

A riddle or puzzling brainteaser

Curio

Rare or unusual person or object

Desecrated

Violated a sacred place with vandalism or profanity

Discernment

Good judgement in matters of taste or etiquette

Disciplinarian

Person who believes in and deals out strict doscipline

Dissipates

Disperses

Eddied

Made a circular motion like a whirlpool

Edict

An order issues in the form of a proclamation by an authority figure or ruler

Garrison

Troops stationed inside a fortress to defend it

Ginseng

Medicinal plant found in Eastern Asia and North America

Gizzard

The second part of a bird's stomach used for grinding food

Hermit

Person who lives in solitude

Impetuous

Hasty

Importune

Solicit with immoral intentions

Incense

Spice that produces a sweet smell when burned

Listless

Having no energy

Mangy

Shabby

Mariarch

Woman who is head of a family or tribe

Motivate

Inspire

Musk

Strong-smelling red-brown substance produced by a gland in musk deer

Obtuse

Slow to understand

Opprobrious

Extremely abusive

Perfunctory

Done automatically. Going through the motions

Portents

Signs of things to come

Remonstrates

Protesting in an argumentative way

Sage

A person with ancient wisdom

Synchronized

At the same time on purpose

Wanton

Sexually promiscuous

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