The Sign of the Four

The Sign of the Four Glossary

"tours-de-force"

A feat or accomplishment performed with great skill (Merriam-Webster)

"coup-de-maitres"

A stroke of genius (Merriam-Webster)

incongruous

Something out of place or jarring with its surroundings (Merriam-Webster)

"khitmutgar"

A male servant (Merriam-Webster)

hypodermic

under the skin; can also be a type of needle (Merriam-Webster)

morocco

leather made from a goat, deriving its color from the sumac bush (Merriam-Webster)

diffident

not confident; shy (Merriam-Webster)

foothold

a place to start from, in order to accomplish a greater goal (Merriam-Webster)

stupefy

to stun; to shock (Merriam-Webster)

reiterate

to repeat for effect (Merriam-Webster)

precept

a command or general rule (Merriam-Webster)

auxiliary

additional component; not part of the main core (Merriam-Webster)

pithy

witty (Merriam-Webster)

angelic

having the qualities of an angel; being very good in character or beautiful in appearance (Merriam-Webster)

breakneck (118)

being done extremely quickly and/or dangerously (Merriam-Webster)

creosote

a flammable tar that comes from wood, often found on the inside of chimneys (Merriam-Webster)

slatternly

referring to a prostitute (Merriam-Webster)

saunter

to stroll down the street at an easy pace (Merriam-Webster)

infallibility

inability to be wrong (Merriam-Webster)

hansom

a type of horse-drawn carriage; can be used as a taxi (Merriam-Webster)

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