Abject
low, worthless, wretched
Accentuation
the act of emphasizing or distinguishing something
Affectation
a pretense or display
Aft
in nautical terms, close to the stern or rear of a vessel
Akimbo
hands on hips, elbows bowed outwards
Ambuscades
ambushes
Anecdotes
short accounts of individual events
Animosities
bitter and deep hatreds
Aperture
an opening
Ardour
great intensity and emotion
Arrant
completely and undeniably so
Askance
off to the side, implying suspicion or secrecy
Attenuated
weakened, lost intensity or strength
Augury
an event or sign that indicates things to come
Bar of deal
a bar of pine or fir wood
Behoved
was fitting or necessary
Berth
a small space sufficient for an action
Bilin'
a great amount of something
Binnacle
a case that holds a ship's compass
Blood-corpuscles
blood cells
Bogle
a phantom or imaginary creature
Bowsprit
a length of wood running out from a ship's bow
Buff-colored
a pale yellowish pink or yellowish brown
Bulwark
the part of ship's side above the deck, or something used as a defense or a safeguard
Burthen
a burden
Cane-brake
a clump of canes
Caper
to frolic, canter, or scamper
Cerebration
the use of one's mind; the actual action of thinking
Circuitous
following a roundabout path
Circumspection
caution, watchfulness
Colloquy
a conversation
Combing of the hatchway
the frame surrounding an opening in a ship's deck that blocks water from passing through
Companion
A ladder that connects between decks in a ship
Complaisance
a tendency to yield or comply
Comus rout
a reference to Comus, the son of the mythical enchantress Circe, who transformed sailors into animals
Consternation
anxiety or discomfort caused by suspicion or fear
Contagion
the transfer of emotions or other conditions through a group
Cordon
a chain of people
Corrugated
characterized by parallel grooves and ridges
Cower
to draw back or tremble in fright
Cringed
withdrew or winced fearfully
Curio
an oddity
Dappled
Spotted
Darkling
darkening
Decorum
appropriate and dignified behavior
Degradation
a transition to a worse condition
Deification
the idolization of a person as a god
Deliquescing
decaying
Denizens
inhabitants
Derelict
ancient, deacying, and abandoned
Deterred
impeded, argued against
Dexterous
agile
Diametrically
exactly opposite to
Dinghy
a small boat
Discernment
good judgment and clever perception
Discordant
without harmony; conflicting
Disinclination
unwillingness or reluctance to do something
Downland
an area of open chalk
Duck things
cotton or linen garments
Enjoined
ordered or instructed
Epiphyte
a plant that grows on another but is not parasitic
Expedient
appropriate or necessary for a goal
Expostulation
the act of expressing strong opposition or protest
Extricate
to remove or take out
Exultation
great happiness
Feral
bestial, menacing
Fetter
a restraint
Flaxen
pale grayish-yellow
Flayed
the condition of having one's skin stripped off
Flotsam
floating trash
Flushdeck
a deck stretching from stem to stern
Foliaceous
having or resembling leaves
Forecastle
region of the upper deck at the bow, in front of the foremast
Fortnight
a period of two weeks
Fraught
full of, especially of things associated with fear or danger
Fuddled
quite drunk
Fumaroles
hole that emits hot smoke and gases
Fusees
large-headed matches
Gait
a specific manner of walking
Garrulous
excessively wordy or chatty
Gesticulating
pointing or gesturing
Gibberish
nonsense
Gibing
taunting, making fun of
Gid
disease of sheep and goats that is associated with loss of balance and unsteadiness
Gig
A small boat
Gingerly
carefully or apprehensively
Glutinous
of or resembling glue
Goad
to prod
Grafting
surgically transplanting a body part or flesh
Gunwale
the upper edge of a ship's side
Guttural
harsh, from deep within the throat
Half-jocular
almost joking
Halitus
a vapor or exhalation
Hazed
harassed or bullied
Headland
an area extending out over a body of water
Heeling
coming closely, as if to one's heels
Homunculus
a diminutive or counterfeit human
Hove
moved in a specific direction
Hovel
a small, squat living area
Hunter's cockspur
refers to an experiment in vivisection by John Hunter, a Scottish surgeon
Hutch
a pen or coop for small animals
Idyllic
resembling paradise; simple and serene
Incessant
without pause or interruption
Incisor
a cutting, sharp tooth in the front of the mouth
Incongruously
incorrectly, illogically
Incontinently
unrestrained
Incrustation
a hard covering or crust
Indiscretion
an ill-thought-out action
Indisputable
without a doubt
Induce
to stimulate or cause to act
Indurated
hardened
Inevitable
unavoidable
Inimical
hostile or dangerous
Injunction
command
Inoculation
immunization
Interlacing
connected or criss-crossing
Interlocutor
one involved in a conversation
Interposed
came between
Intimated
subtly indicated or told
Intrinsic
inherent, inborn
Inundate
to overwhelm or deluge
Jabbered
gabbled
Jaded
cynically experienced or weary
Kanakas
South Sea islanders
Kennel
a lair or shelter for an animal, especially a dog
Kindred
related to, linked by family
Limber
flexible and agile
Litany
a religious reading or recital
Lithe
graceful, supple
Liturgy
rituals of public worship
Lolling
lying in a relaxed manner
Luxuriant
rich or ornate, especially with regard to growth
Mahomet's houri in the dark
refers to the Koran's description of Paradise; an houri is the black-eyed virgin who belongs to every true male believer
Marshaled
led or readied
Masticated
chewed
Materialist
someone who thinks that nothing exists but physical matter and motion, that spiritual matters including consciousness, emotions, and the will either do not really exist or can be fully described in mere scientific terms
Maudlin
excessively sad or mournful
Meridian
middle, in between, half
Mew
to cry or whine in the manner of a cat
Miasmatic
toxic, as if full of noxious vapors
Mizzen
the mast nearer the stern in relation to the mainmast
Monogamy
having only one sexual or romantic partner
Morass
a difficult region of swampy, cumbersome land
Mountebank
a flamboyant faker
Muddled
confused and vague
Multifarious
numerous and diverse
Multitudes
masses or mobs
Muster
to summon or gather
Obliquely
toward or at one side
Oblong
resembling an ellipse
Officiously
in an excessively earnest manner
Ollendorffian
refers to Heinrich Ollendorf, a German educator and author of foreign-language grammars
Ominous
menacing or threatening
Omnibuses
long buses characteristic of London
Ostentatiously
in a pretentious and overly elaborate manner
Ovine
of sheep
Pallid
pale or dim
Paraffin
a wax substance used in candles
Peaked
ending in a peak or a point
Perforce
by necessity
Perpetually
seemingly uninterrupted
Petulance
an irritable, cross feeling
Phlegm
saliva and mucus
Piggin
a small pail
Pigmentary
of pigments (substances used to produce color)
Plasticity
the property of being physically changeable and workable
Precipitous
with great haste and little thought
Pretence
an artful, affected, simulated front or manner
Prevailed
proved superior or valid
Prig
a conceited person overly devoted to etiquette and rules
Privations
deprivations
Profuse
plentiful, extravagant
Prognathous
having a projecting jaw
Promontory
a headland
Propitiatory
having power to or intending to appease or atone
Prostrate
the action or quality of being low to the ground, often submissively so
Protuberant
swelling outward, bulging
Puckering
forming wrinkles or folds
Pugnacious
combative, belligerent
Pumiceous
abrasive; referring to pumice, a common volcanic rock
Pungent
penetrating, biting, acrid
Pyre
a pile of materials intended for burning a corpse
Quandary
a problem or predicament
Rabble
a crowd of common and undistinguished people
Radula of the snail
the movable, toothed part of a snail's mouth, used for scraping and drawing in food
Recrudescence
return
Reminiscence
the act of remembering or a memory itself
Remonstrance
an expression of protest or opposition
Rending
ripping apart
Repugnance
extreme dislike or aversion
Reticent
cool, disinclined to talk or draw attention
Retrospect
hindsight
Reverting
returning to a former condition
Rivulet
a small brook or stream
Roving
traveling without any clear or obvious destination
Rudiments
the most basic elements
Saturnine
bitter, scornful, sardonic
Satyr
a mythical half-man, half-goat creature prone to wild merrymaking
Scalding
boiling, scorching, searing
Scampering
rushing about hurriedly
Scant
barely any
Schooner
a rigged ship with two or more masts
Scoriae
volcanic outcrops of aerated rock
Scuttle
a small hole in the side of a ship
Seamed
connected by seams, sewn together
Sensibility
awareness
Sentinel
a guard or sentry
Serfs
people in bondage or service
Serge
a twilled woolen fabric
Shambling
shuffling
Shrouds
ropes attached to the head of the mast that reduce lateral strain
Silhouette
a dark outline on a light background
Sinuous
having many curves or bends
Slöjd
the teaching of woodwork (slöjd is Swedish for "handicrafts")
Sojourn
a temporary residence
Solace
comfort or consolation
Solicitude
excessive concern
Sombre
grave, gloomy, or dull
Sophistry
an invalid argument that nonetheless displays skillful reasoning intended to persuade and deceive
Soughing
a soft murmuring
Spankers
fore-and-aft sails on the rear mast
Spasm
a sudden surge of energy or muscular contraction
Speculative
risky, inconclusive
Stagnant
stale, still
Standing lugs
four-cornered sails spread or hoisted
Stupor
diminished or suspended mental awareness
Subsequently
following, next
Succulent
enjoyable, juicy
Sullenness
a gloomy, sulky feeling
Sulphurous
oppressively hot, humid, or harsh
Superficially
in appearance alone
Swathed
wrapped or bound in bandages
Swinish
resembling pigs
Taciturn
reserved, quiet, uncommunicative
Tactile
of, relating to, or stimulating the sense of touch
Taffrail
the rail at the stern of a ship
Taint
an infecting touch, influence, or stain
Tawny
a light brown or brownish orange
Tedium
boredom due to length or slowness
Temerity
impetous or reckless behavior
Tepid
unenthusiastic, uninteresting
Thwarts
the seats or benches of a rowboat
Tracery
a work of criss-crossing or branching lines
Tranquil
peaceful, steady, even
Transfusion
the transfer of blood
Transitory
temporary, passing
Traversing
going over, across, or through
Travesty
an exaggerated imitation
Trepidation
apprehension
Trifle
an unimportant or worthless thing
Tumult
a sudden, disorderly disturbance
Uncanny
almost supernaturally keen
Uncouth
awkward, rough
Unison
agreement, unity
Unvictualled
lacking supplies, especially food
Vestiges
traces
Vexation
the feeling or source of annoyance
Vigilant
on the alert; watchful
Virago
a large, strong, courageous woman
Vivisection
scientific experimentation on animals, especially with regard to surgery
Votary
a fervent devotee or disciple
Vulpine
fox-like
Wan
pale, drained
Wanton
gratuitously and unnecessarily cruel
Weltering
tossing and turning unrestrainedly
Winded
moved in a curving or twisting course
Yawed
moved unsteadily; weaved
Yawp
a bark or yelp
Yokel
a rustic or bumpkin
Zenith
peak
Zodiacal
part of or referring to the zodiac