The Stories of Alistair MacLeod Glossary

The Stories of Alistair MacLeod Glossary

steadfast

someone or something that is loyal and dependable

corpse

a dead, lifeless being

galumphing

moving in an awkward, ungraceful way

permitted

acceptable or okay to do

impulsive

acting without thinking ahead or in an abrupt manner

compact

is tight or bunched together

trousers

a type of pants

clenched

describing one's fists or teeth squeezed tightly due to emotion

disintegrate

to crumble apart or break down usually into small fragments

modernize

to renovate and make into more of a modern style

retrieve

to go get or to retrieve something

heaps

mounds of something, piles

verdigris

a bluish-greenish color

battered

old and worn down

stoic

undeterred by pain or hardship; able to endure sustained suffering without complaint or woe

phallic

resembling an erect penis in appearance

melancholy

a feeling of pensive, heartfelt sorrow

effeminate

(referring to a man) possessing characteristics deemed to be feminine

vastness

the quality of being large, immense and / or expansive in extent or size

Highland Clearances

refers to the mass eviction of leaseholders from the Scottish Highlands in the 18th and 19th centuries

claymore

a broad two-hilted longsword originating from Scotland

urbanized

Having adopted the characteristics typical of an urban environment

abstemious

used to describe someone who indulges only very slightly / moderately in an activity (e.g. drinking alcohol)

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