Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Glossary

ameliorate

to make better or more tolerable

aperture

opening

avarice

greed

balsam

an aromatic and usually oily substance flowing from a plant

chattel

an item of property; a slave

credulous

ready to believe, even on unreliable or scanty evidence

cupidity

avarice; greed; lust

deportment

behavior; demeanor; conduct

depredate

plunder or ravage

descanting

explaining or discussing a particular theme or subject

dissipated

vanished; dissolved

dower

money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage

epicure

a person with discriminating tastes in regard to food or wine

epithet

an abusive word or phrase

evince

show or demonstrate

facetious

joking in an inappropriate manner

factotum

a person with a multitude of responsibilities

festoon

a decorative chain hanging between two points

forbearance

patience; leniency

freshet

a stream

gimlet

a small tool used to bore holes

implored

begged for earnestly

imprecations

strong curses

inculcate

to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions

indefatigable

tireless; inexhaustible

injurious

abusive; defamatory

intercede

intervene; mediate

irascible

irritable; easily provoked to angry outbursts

joists

small beams laid out parallel from wall to wall

licentious

corrupt; amoral; lewd

lineament

a feature or contour of a face

loquacious

extremely talkative

malediction

curse

manumit

to release from slavery

miscreant

an infidel; someone who behaves badly

muster

a formal inspection

officiating

presiding over

palliate

to moderate the intensity of

pecuniary

relating to money

perfidy

faithlessness or disloyalty; treachery

pilfer

to steal from

politic

shrewdly tactful

prattle

childish talk

precept

a command or principle

quelled

reduced to submission; put down

rapacious

greedy

recompense

pay; remunerate

reprobate

a morally corrupt person

scourge

whip

scrupulous

having moral integrity

subterfuge

deceit used in order to achieve one's goal

supplicant

a person who asks humbly for a favor

veracity

truthfulness

vitiate

to make faulty or defective

vitiated

impaired; debased

vituperations

sustained and harsh criticism and insults

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