George Orwell: Essays Glossary

George Orwell: Essays Glossary

aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

anachronism

a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, esp. a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned

debilitate

make someone weak and infirm

decency

behavior that conforms to accepted standards of morality or respectability

feudalism

the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection

furnace

an enclosed structure in which material can be heated to very high temperatures, e.g., for smelting metals

industrialism

a social or economic system built on manufacturing industries

ineradicable

unable to be destroyed or removed

jolting

shaking

liable

responsible by law, legally answerable

lucrative

producing a great deal of profit

monstrosity

something that is outrageously or offensively wrong

preliminary

denoting an action or event preceding or done in preparation for something fuller or more important

quid

a lump of tobacco for chewing

reverence

deep respect for someone or something

sinewy

brawny, muscular

spurious

false or fake

virtuous

having or showing high moral standards

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