The Well of Loneliness Glossary

The Well of Loneliness Glossary

Invert

The psychologist's term for homosexual during the early part of the twentieth century. The theory was that the sexual orientation of a homosexual person was "inverted" and homosexuals were therefore referred to as inverts.

Common Decency

Generally acceptable standards of behavior

Scope

Potential

Unclean

Sexually perverted

Scourge

Curse, general threat.

Vile

Nasty, unpalatable.

Approbation

Disapproval, distrust

Lustful

Thinking sexually about others, consumed and preoccupied by thoughts of sex

Ignorant

Uninformed, bigoted

Comprehend

Understand

Despised

Hated, loathed

Hideous

Monstrous,ugly

"God marked on the forehead"

This is a reference to the mark of Cain in the Bible; such a mark singled a person out to be unaccepted by the rest.

Abhor

Hate

Convention

The way in which things have always been done

Abominable

Aberrant, against God

Burden

A heavy weight to bear

"The world is not so black as it is painted"

This phrase means that the world is not as bad as it seems

Niche

Area where one fits perfectly

Skittles

A pub game played in England

Apt

to have a tendency to do something

Expedient

Effective, convenient

Outlaw

Someone outside of the norm of society

Vessel

Something that is the container for something else, for example, a jug being a vessel for water

Seldom

Rarely

Contrition

Guilty regret

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