Heritage (poem)

Heritage (poem) Glossary

Juggernaut (noun)

An uncontrollable, destructive, and extremely powerful group

Plight (verb)

To give a pledge (e.g. "to plight one's troth"—to promise to marry someone)

Troth (noun)

An expression of loyalty, faithfulness

Fount (noun)

Fountain; the source or origin of something

Somber (adjective)

Dark in color; melancholy and serious

Chafe (verb)

To rub against something painfully, to make sore; to be annoyed or irritated by limitations

Listlessly (adverb)

(To do something) without energy or interest; indifferently, unenthusiastically

Bugle (noun)

A small brass instrument resembling a trumpet, as used in the military to give signals

Scabbard (noun)

A cover for a sword or dagger

Doff (verb)

To take/throw something off; to remove a hat as a sign of respect

Leprous (adjective)

Affected by leprosy (a disease that damages people’s skin, nerves and flesh)

Corolla (noun)

The ring of petals surrounding the central part of a flower

Measure (noun)

A melody or tune; a slow dance; meter, musical time; a poetic rhythm or metrical foot

Bough (noun)

The branch of a tree

Travail (noun)

Painful or difficult work/labor

Meekly (adverb)

Done in a meek manner. Meek (adjective): mild, patient, submissive, tame, moderate

Unremittent (adjective)

Constant, unceasing. More commonly: unremitting

Refrain (noun)

The chorus of a song; a recurring phrase or verse in a poem; a statement repeated over and over

Exuberance (noun)

The state of being exuberant: unrestrained, enthusiastic, extreme, over-the-top

Quaint (adjective)

Old-fashioned, unfamiliar, unusual

Outlandish (adjective)

Foreign, of or related to another country; bizarre, unusual; beyond the accepted standards

Humility (noun)

The quality or state of being humble; being without pride or arrogance

Heathen (noun)

Someone who does not recognize the Bible; someone unconverted to Christianity; a pagan; an uncivilized or wild person

Naught (noun)

Nothing

Idle (adjective)

Empty; lacking basis in reality or worth

Falter (verb)

To stumble, totter; lose purpose or effectiveness, hesitate

Precedent (noun)

An earlier occurrence of something similar; an example; a person or thing that serves as a model

Deride (verb)

To laugh at, insult, ridicule, criticize

Fashion (verb)

To make, give shape or form, create, invent

Waver (verb)

To go between two choices, fluctuate; sway unsteadily back and forth

Smitten (adjective)

Struck by strong feelings of attraction, affection, or infatuation (based on the verb "to smite" from the King James Bible, meaning "to strike sharply or heavily especially with the hand or with something held in the hand")

Creed (noun)

A set of religious beliefs or teachings

Flax (noun)

A plant whose fiber is used for spinning thread or fabrics

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