by Homer
cobweb NOUN a cobweb is the net which a spider makes for catching insects the walls and ceilings were all hung round with cobwebs (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
coddling VERB coddling means to treat someone too kindly or protect them too much and I’ve been coddling the fellow as if I’d been his grandmother (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)
coil NOUN coil means noise or fuss or disturbance What a coil is there? (Doctor Faustus 4.7 by Christopher Marlowe)
collared VERB to collar something is a slang term which means to capture. In this sentence, it means he stole it [the money] he collared it (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
colling VERB colling is an old word which means to embrace and kiss and no clasping and colling at all (Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy)
colloquies NOUN colloquy is a formal conversation or dialogue Such colloquies have occupied many a pair of pale-faced weavers (Silas Marner by George Eliot)
comfit NOUN sugar-covered pieces of fruit or nut eaten as sweets and pulled out a box of comfits (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
coming out VERB when a girl came out in society it meant she was of marriageable age. In order to “come out” girls were expecting to attend balls and other parties during a season The younger girls formed hopes of coming out a year or two sooner than they might otherwise have done (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
commit VERB commit means arrest or stop Commit the rascals (Doctor Faustus 4.7 by Christopher Marlowe)
commodious ADJ commodious means convenient the most commodious and effectual ways (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
commons NOUN commons is an old term meaning food shared with others his pauper assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
complacency NOUN here complacency means a desire to please others. To-day complacency means feeling pleased with oneself without good reason. Twas thy power that raised the first complacency in me (The Prelude by William Wordsworth)
complaisance NOUN complaisance was eagerness to please we cannot wonder at his complaisance (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
complaisant ADJ complaisant means polite extremely cheerful and complaisant to their guest (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
conning VERB conning means learning by heart Or conning more (The Prelude by William Wordsworth)
consequent NOUN consequence as avarice is the necessary consequent of old age (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
consorts NOUN concerts The King, who delighted in music, had frequent consorts at Court (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
conversible ADJ conversible meant easy to talk to, companionable He can be a conversible companion (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
copper NOUN a copper is a large pot that can be heated directly over a fire He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
copper-stick NOUN a copper-stick is the long piece of wood used to stir washing in the copper (or boiler) which was usually the biggest cooking pot in the house It was Christmas Eve, and I had to stir the pudding for next day, with a copper-stick, from seven to eight by the Dutch clock (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
counting-house NOUN a counting-house is a place where accountants work Once upon a time–of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve–old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
courtier NOUN a courtier is someone who attends the king or queen–a member of the court next the ten courtiers; (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
covies NOUN covies were flocks of partridges and will save all of the best covies for you (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
cowed VERB cowed means frightened or intimidated it cowed me more than the pain (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
cozened VERB cozened means tricked or deceived Do you remember, sir, how you cozened me (Doctor Faustus 4.7 by Christopher Marlowe)
cravats NOUN a cravat is a folded cloth that a man wears wrapped around his neck as a decorative item of clothing we’d ’a’ slept in our cravats to-night (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
crock and dirt PHRASE crock and dirt is an old expression meaning soot and dirt and the mare catching cold at the door, and the boy grimed with crock and dirt (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
crockery NOUN here crockery means pottery By one of the parrots was a cat made of crockery (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
crooked sixpence PHRASE it was considered unlucky to have a bent sixpence You’ve got the beauty, you see, and I’ve got the luck, so you must keep me by you for your crooked sixpence (Silas Marner by George Eliot)
croquet NOUN croquet is a traditional English summer game in which players try to hit wooden balls through hoops and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
cross PREP across The two great streets, which run cross and divide it into four quarters (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
culpable ADJ if you are culpable for something it means you are to blame deep are the sorrows that spring from false ideas for which no man is culpable. (Silas Marner by George Eliot)
cultured ADJ cultivated Nor less when spring had warmed the cultured Vale (The Prelude by William Wordsworth)
cupidity NOUN cupidity is greed These people hated me with the hatred of cupidity and disappointment. (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
curricle NOUN an open two-wheeled carriage with one seat for the driver and space for a single passenger and they saw a lady and a gentleman in a curricle (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
cynosure NOUN a cynosure is something that strongly attracts attention or admiration Then I thought of Eliza and Georgiana; I beheld one the cynosure of a ballroom, the other the inmate of a convent cell (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)
dalliance NOUN someone’s dalliance with something is a brief involvement with it nor sporting in the dalliance of love (Doctor Faustus Chorus by Christopher Marlowe)
darkling ADV darkling is an archaic way of saying in the dark Darkling I listen (Ode on a Nightingale by John Keats)
delf-case NOUN a sideboard for holding dishes and crockery at the pewter dishes and delf-case (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)
determined VERB here determined means ended and be out of vogue when that was determined (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift) VERB determined can mean to have been learned or found especially by investigation or experience All the sensitive feelings it wounded so cruelly, all the shame and misery it kept alive within my breast, became more poignant as I thought of this; and I determined that the life was unendurable (David Copperfield by Charles Dickens)
Deuce NOUN a slang term for the Devil Ah, I dare say I did. Deuce take me, he added suddenly, I know I did. I find I am not quite unscrewed yet. (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
diabolical ADJ diabolical means devilish or evil and with a thousand diabolical expressions (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
direction NOUN here direction means address Elizabeth was not surprised at it, as Jane had written the direction remarkably ill (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
discover VERB to make known or announce the Emperor would discover the secret while I was out of his power (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
dissemble VERB hide or conceal Dissemble nothing (On His Mistress by John Donne)
dissolve VERB dissolve here means to release from life, to die Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget (Ode on a Nightingale by John Keats)
distrain VERB to distrain is to seize the property of someone who is in debt in compensation for the money owed for he’s threatening to
distrain for it (Silas Marner by George Eliot)
Divan NOUN a Divan was originally a Turkish council of state–the name was transferred to the couches they sat on and is used to mean this in English Mr Brass applauded this picture very much, and the bed being soft and comfortable, Mr Quilp determined to use it, both as a sleeping place by night and as a kind of Divan by day. (The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens)
divorcement NOUN separation By all pains which want and divorcement hath (On His Mistress by John Donne)
dog in the manger, PHRASE this phrase describes someone who prevents you from enjoying something that they themselves have no need for You are a dog in the manger, Cathy, and desire no one to be loved but yourself (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)
dolorifuge NOUN dolorifuge is a word which Thomas Hardy invented. It means pain-killer or comfort as a species of dolorifuge (Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy)
dome NOUN building that river and that mouldering dome (The Prelude by William Wordsworth)
domestic NOUN here domestic means a person’s management of the house to give some account of my domestic (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
dunce NOUN a dunce is another word for idiot Do you take me for a dunce? Go on? (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
Ecod EXCLAM a slang exclamation meaning “oh God!” “Ecod,” replied Wemmick, shaking his head, “that’s not my trade.” (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
egg-hot NOUN an egg-hot (see also “flip” and “negus”) was a hot drink made from beer and eggs, sweetened with nutmeg She fainted when she saw me return, and made a little jug of egg-hot afterwards to console us while we talked it over. (David Copperfield by Charles Dickens)
encores NOUN an encore is a short extra performance at the end of a longer one, which the entertainer gives because the audience has enthusiastically asked for it we want a little something to answer encores with, anyway (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
equipage NOUN an elegant and impressive carriage and besides, the equipage did not answer to any of their neighbours (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
exordium NOUN an exordium is the opening part of a speech “Now, Handel,” as if it were the grave beginning of a portentous business exordium, he had suddenly given up that tone (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
expect VERB here expect means to wait for to expect his farther commands (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
familiars NOUN familiars means spirits or devils who come to someone when they are called I’ll turn all the lice about thee into familiars (Doctor Faustus 1.4 by Christopher Marlowe)
fantods NOUN a fantod is a person who fidgets or can’t stop moving nervously It most give me the fantods (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
farthing NOUN a farthing is an old unit of British currency which was worth a quarter of a penny Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you. (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
farthingale NOUN a hoop worn under a skirt to extend it A bell with an old voice–which I dare say in its time had often said to the house, Here is the green farthingale (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
favours NOUN here favours is an old word which means ribbons A group of humble mourners entered the gate: wearing white favours (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
feigned VERB pretend or pretending not my feigned page (On His Mistress by John Donne)
fence NOUN a fence is someone who receives and sells stolen goods What are you up to? Ill-treating the boys, you covetous, avaricious, in-sa-ti-a-ble old fence? (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens) NOUN defence or protection but honesty hath no fence against superior cunning (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
fess ADJ fess is an old word which means pleased or proud You’ll be fess enough, my poppet (Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy)
fettered ADJ fettered means bound in chains or chained “You are fettered,” said Scrooge, trembling. “Tell me why?” (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
fidges VERB fidges means fidgets, which is to keep moving your hands slightly because you are nervous or excited Look, Jim, how my fingers fidges (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
finger-post NOUN a finger-post is a sign-post showing the direction to different places “The gallows,” continued Fagin, “the gallows, my dear, is an ugly finger-post, which points out a very short and sharp turning that has stopped many a bold fellow’s career on the broad highway.” (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
fire-irons NOUN fire-irons are tools kept by the side of the fire to either cook with or look after the fire the fire-irons came first (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
fire-plug NOUN a fire-plug is another word for a fire hydrant The pony looked with great attention into a fire-plug, which was near him, and appeared to be quite absorbed in contemplating it (The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens)
flank NOUN flank is the side of an animal And all her silken flanks with garlands dressed (Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats)
flip NOUN a flip is a drink made from warmed ale, sugar, spice and beaten egg The events of the day, in combination with the twins, if not with the flip, had made Mrs. Micawber hysterical, and she shed tears as she replied (David Copperfield by Charles Dickens)
flit VERB flit means to move quickly and if he had meant to flit to Thrushcross Grange (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)
floorcloth NOUN a floorcloth was a hard-wearing piece of canvas used instead of carpet This avenging phantom was ordered to be on duty at eight on Tuesday morning in the hall (it was two feet square, as charged for floorcloth) (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
fly-driver NOUN a fly-driver is a carriage drawn by a single horse The fly-drivers, among whom I inquired next, were equally jocose and equally disrespectful (David Copperfield by Charles Dickens)
fob NOUN a small pocket in which a watch is kept “Certain,” replied the man, drawing a gold watch from his fob (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
folly NOUN folly means foolishness or stupidity the folly of beginning a work (Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe)
fond ADJ fond means foolish Fond worldling (Doctor Faustus 5.2 by Christopher Marlowe)
fondness NOUN silly or foolish affection They have no fondness for their colts or foals (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
for his fancy PHRASE for his fancy means for his liking or as he wanted and as I did not obey quick enough for his fancy (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
forlorn ADJ lost or very upset you are from that day forlorn (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
foster-sister NOUN a foster-sister was someone brought up by the same nurse or in the same household I had been his foster-sister (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)
fox-fire NOUN fox-fire is a weak glow that is given off by decaying, rotten wood what we must have was a lot of them rotten chunks that’s called fox-fire (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
frozen sea PHRASE the Arctic Ocean into the frozen sea (Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift)
gainsay VERB to gainsay something is to say it isn’t true or to deny it “So she had,” cried Scrooge. “You’re right. I’ll not gainsay it, Spirit. God forbid!” (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
gaiters NOUN gaiters were leggings made of a cloth or piece of leather which covered the leg from the knee to the ankle Mr Knightley was hard at work upon the lower buttons of his thick leather gaiters (Emma by Jane Austen)
galluses NOUN galluses is an old spelling of gallows, and here means suspenders. Suspenders are straps worn over someone’s shoulders and fastened to their trousers to prevent the trousers falling down and home-knit galluses (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
galoot NOUN a sailor but also a clumsy person and maybe a galoot on it chopping (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
gayest ADJ gayest means the most lively and bright or merry Beth played her gayest march (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)
gem NOUN here gem means jewellery the mountain shook off turf and flower, had only heath for raiment and crag for gem (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)
giddy ADJ giddy means dizzy and I wish you wouldn’t keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly; you make one quite giddy. (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)
gig NOUN a light two-wheeled carriage when a gig drove up to the garden gate: out of which there jumped a fat gentleman (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens)
gladsome ADJ gladsome is an old word meaning glad or happy Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
glen NOUN a glen is a small valley; the word is used commonly in Scotland a beck which follows the bend of the glen (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë)
gravelled VERB gravelled is an old term which means to baffle or defeat someone Gravelled the pastors of the German Church (Doctor Faustus 1.1 by Christopher Marlowe)
grinder NOUN a grinder was a private tutor but that when he had had the happiness of marrying Mrs Pocket very early in his life, he had impaired his prospects and taken up the calling of a Grinder (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)
gruel NOUN gruel is a thin, watery cornmeal or oatmeal soup and the little saucepan of gruel (Scrooge had a cold in his head) upon the hob. (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
guinea, half a NOUN half a guinea was ten shillings and sixpence but lay out half a guinea at Ford’s (Emma by Jane Austen)
gull VERB gull is an old term which means to fool or deceive someone Hush, I’ll gull him supernaturally (Doctor Faustus 3.4 by Christopher Marlowe)
gunnel NOUN the gunnel, or gunwale, is the upper edge of a boat’s side But he put his foot on the gunnel and rocked her (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
gunwale NOUN the side of a ship He dipped his hand in the water over the boat’s gunwale (Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)