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Full Glossary
loggerhead a stupid fellow; blockhead. Capulet puns on the second servant's ability to find logs for the fire.
long spinners' legs the legs of the crane fly.
lose a winning match . . . stainless maidenhoods that is, win Romeo by surrendering to him.
lour scowl or frown upon.
love so gentle in his view love, often represented as Cupid, appears gentle.
love's shadows dreams; visions.
maidenhead virginity.
mammet doll or puppet.
marchpane marzipan, a confection of ground almonds, sugar, and egg white made into a paste and variously shaped and colored.
mark you me take notice of what I say; pay attention.
marry an exclamation of surprise. "Marry" is a respelling of (the Virgin) "Mary."
mattock a tool for loosening the soil: it is like a pickax but has a flat, adz-shaped blade on one or both sides.
medlars small, brown, apple-like fruit.
merry dump here an oxymoron: a sad tune or song.
mew'd up a mew is a cage for molting hawks. Juliet has shut herself away to grieve.
mickle much or great.
misadventur'd unlucky.
misgives feels fear, doubt, or suspicion.
mistemper'd bad-tempered, angry; here, also referring to weapons which have been tempered, or made hard, in blood rather than water.
mistress minion spoiled hussy.
modern commonplace.
move persaude.
moved angry.
my bosom's lord love.
natural fool; idiot.
new infection to thy eye Benvolio continues to encourage Romeo to look for another love. Ironically, Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight.
nice trivial.
night's candles the stars.
nimble-pinion'd swift-winged.
none ill no bad ones.
nothing slow to slack his haste by no means reluctant if I should slow him down in his haste.
obsequies funeral rites.
old cakes of roses dried rose leaves pressed into cakes.
open-arse slang term for a medlar; "arse" is the buttocks.
ordained festival prepared for the wedding festivities.
orisons prayers.
osier cage basket made from willow.
overwhelming overhanging.
partisans broad-bladed weapons with a long shaft, used especially in the 16th century.
parts attractive qualities.
passado a forward thrust.
pastry place where pastry is made.
pate the head, esp. the top of the head.
pennyworths small portions.
pensive sad; melancholy.
Pentecost a religious festival, the seventh Sunday after Easter.
penury extreme poverty.
perjuries the breaking of promises.
pitch falconry term used to describe the height from which a bird of prey swoops to seize its prey.
piteous overthrows their end or death, which arouses or deserves pity or compassion.
pitiful case pitiful state of affairs.
plantain leaf the leaf was used to heal cuts and bruises. Romeo replies sarcastically that Benvolio's suggestion of a cure for Romeo's love melancholy would be as effective as applying a plantain leaf.
poised balanced, weighed.
poperin pear Mercutio compares the pear with the shape of the male genitals and puns on the name: pop-her-in.
portly dignified or well-mannered.
posterity Rosaline's celibacy will prevent her passing on her beauty to her children or descendants.
post-horses horses kept at a post house, or inn, for couriers and post chaises or for hire to travelers.
pouts upon treats with contempt.
prates talks much and foolishly; chatters.
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