accost
To approach suddenly (in present-day English, usually aggressively or with sexual intent).
augur
To predict; to portend a good or bad outcome.
awful
Often used in the sense "awe-inspiring."
cavil
To make petty or unnecessary objections.
Cobb
A naturally-formed stone breakwater around the harbor at Lyme.
confinement
The period before giving birth during which a woman stays in bed.
countenance
One's face or facial expression.
crape
Archaic spelling of "crepe." A band of silk worn around one's hat as a sign of mourning; also designates light, silky fabric in general.
curate
A clergyman who assists the vicar, rector, or parish priest.
disapprobation
Strong disapproval, generally on moral grounds.
dowager
A woman with a title or property derived from her late husband.
eclat
Notoriety; conspicuousness; a brilliant display.
enquire
A variant of "inquire," chiefly British.
enure
Variant spelling of "inure." To become accustomed to something, usually unpleasant, as in "she was inured to his insults."
grazier
One who feeds cattle or sheep for market.
liminal
At a transitional stage of a process; at a threshold.
lowness
Depression.
Michaelmas
The feast of St. Michael, on September 29th.
palimpsest
A manuscript (or a piece of writing material, usually a papyrus or a parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing erased but traces still visible. Figuratively, something reused but still containing visible traces of its previous form.
piano
Quiet, as in "he is too piano for me."
prudential
Involving careful forethought and consideration; prudent.
repulsive
Cold in manner, as in "she was not so repulsive."
Scheherezade
The Persian queen who is the storyteller of Arabian Nights, also known commmonly as A Thousand and One Nights. The Persian king married a virgin every night and sent her to be beheaded to next morning. Scheherezade survived by telling him a compelling story every night. By the end of a thousand and one nights, the king had been become wise and made Scheherezade his queen.
tantalize
Torment someone with the sight of something that is unobtainable.
underhung
Having a projecting jaw.
viscountess
The wife or widow of a viscount. A viscount ranked among the English peerage and sat among the House of Lords. For more on ranks and titles, see the "Additional Content" section of this ClassicNote.
want
Often used in the sense "need."
