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Full Glossary
abroad out and about.
addle muddled and, perhaps, rotten.
ado fuss; trouble; excitement.
advance raise.
agate stone a hard, semiprecious stone.
all dissemblers all liars.
all naught all wicked.
ally relative, kinsman.
ambuscados ambushes.
amerce to punish by imposing a fine.
answer it accept it.
antic face Romeo's face is still covered by his mask.
the ape is dead Romeo is described as a performing monkey who is playing dead and will not respond to Mercutio's conjuration.
aqua vitae alcoholic spirits.
artificial night Romeo's behavior is unnatural (artificial).
As Phaeton . . . immediately Phaeton, the son of Apollo, was allowed to drive the chariot of the sun for a day. His reckless driving nearly set the earth on fire and Zeus, the king of the gods, struck him dead with a thunderbolt.
aspir'd to rise high; to tower.
atomi creatures as small as atoms.
baleful harmful or poisonous.
bandy to toss or hit back and forth, as a ball.
bandying to give and take; to exchange (words) in an angry or argumentative manner.
barefoot brother another friar.
bauble a jester's baton with an ornament at the end.
becomed befitting; becoming.
bedaubed smeared or stained with blood.
beggarly account of empty boxes empty boxes of little worth.
behoveful necessary or required.
benedicite Latin for "bless you!"
benefice an endowed church office providing a living for a vicar, rector, etc.
beshrew to curse: mainly in mild imprecations.
bills medieval weapons having a hook-shaped blade with a spike at the back, mounted on a long staff.
bitt'rest gall bitter feeling; rancor. Gall is another name for bile, one of the bodily humors (that is, bodily fluids thought to be responsible for one's health and disposition).
blaze proclaim in public.
blazen declare or celebrate.
bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud at home, Juliet is under her father's strict discipline and must whisper as though she is hoarse to avoid detection.
bound obliged or indebted.
bow in the hams make a bow.
brine salt water; that is, tears.
broke her brow fell and cut her forehead.
by and by soon.
by my holidame from the Anglo-Saxon for holiness, here used by the Nurse to mean "holy dame," that is, the Virgin Mary.
by rote by memory alone, without understanding or thought.
by the operation of the second cup by the time the second cup of liquor has taken effect upon him.
by th'rood an oath by Christ's cross.
caitiff wretched.
cancell'd love Romeo thinks that his killing Tybalt will render his marriage to Juliet null and void.
captain of compliments in dueling, one who has mastered all the rules and moves.
care desire.
carry no crotchets put up with none of your notions or whims.
case mask.
catling a small lute or fiddle string made out of cat gut.
challenge claim.
chapless without the lower jaw.
charge important matters.
charnel house a building or place where corpses or bones are deposited.
chinks plenty of cash.
churl a surly, ill-bred person.
civil night sober, serious night.
closet a small room or cupboard for clothes.
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