fill-horse horse used to draw a cart
film gossamer
find find out; find forth = locate
fine sb. end; adj. refined; v. conclude; undertake to pay; make beautiful; fine and recovery = transfer of property
fineless boundless
firago virago, female warrior
fire-drake meteor
fire-new brand-new, as if fresh from the forge
firk beat, perhaps with connotations of ‘fuck’
firstling first offspring
fisnomy physiognomy, face
fit sb. spasm; section of poetry or music; v. be appropriate (for)
fitchew polecat, known for its foul stench and sexual appetite
fitchook seefitchew
fitment that which is fitting; device
fives avives, a disease in horses
flamen ancient Roman priest
flap-dragon small fruit, floating in liquor, set alight and swallowed as a Christmas game
flap-jack pancake
flatness (?) completeness; (?) unrelieved expanse
flaunts fine clothes
flaw sb. fragment; gust or blast of wind; outburst; v. crack, break
fleckled spotted, blotchy
fledge fledged
fleer sb. sneer; v. grin, sneer
flesh (in hunting) awaken an appetite for bloodshed
fleshment first success
fleur-de-luce seeflower-de-luce
flew’d, flewed big-jowled
flidge see fledge
flirt-gill easy woman
float sea
flourish sb. fanfare; decoration; v. sound a fanfare; decorate, embellish
flower-de-luce fleur-de-lis (iris), French heraldic device also used later by English kings
flurted scorned
flush ripe, full of vigour
flushing redness caused by weeping
flux something that flows
fluxive flowing, fluid
flying at the brook hunting for water-fowl with hawks
foil sb. defeat, disgrace; complementary setting or background; v. defeat, overthrow
foin sb. thrust of a sword; v. thrust or parry with a sword
foison plenty, abundance
fond adj. foolish; v. dote
fondling foolish person
fool jester; fool’s bolt = allusion to the proverb ‘a fool’s bolt is soon shot’; shrieve’s fool = penniless idiot in the custody of the sherrif (cf. shrieve)
fool-begg’d so idiotic that one might request custody of it from the courts
foot be or go on foot; kick; (of an eagle) snatch with the talons
foot-cloth sb. horse’s decorative saddle-cloth; adj. equipped with a foot-cloth
foot-landrakers vagabond highwaymen
fop sb. fool; v. see fub
foppery, fopp'ry folly, foolery; cheating, trickery
foppish foolish
for for lack of; for fear of
forbid under a curse
force strengthen; care; urge, enforce; stuff; force a straw = care a straw for; force perforce =in spite of opposition, necessarily; of force = of importance; of necessity
fordo ruin, destroy
fordone tired out
forecast forethought
fore-end earlier part
foregone done previously
fore-hand, forehand leading position; forehand shaft = arrow shot with the target seen above the bow hand; ’forehand sin = sin of acting prematurely
forehorse leading horse
fore-past previous
foresay determine, decree
forestall prevent, deny in advance
foreward vanguard
forgetive inventive
fork snake’s tongue; arrow’s head; leg or legs (where the body forks)
forked barbed; horned, cuckolded (cf. horn)
formal rational, sane; conventional, regular
former foremost
forsake give up; deny, decline
forslow delay
forspent wearied, exhausted
fortitude strength
fortuna de la guerra the chance of war (Sp.?)
foutre (Fr.) ruder version of ‘fig’(cf. fig)
fox sword
foxship qualities of a fox, supposedly ingratitude and cunning
fracted broken
fraction breach, estrangement, quarrel; fragment
frame sb. systematic form; design; v. form, contrive, execute
frampold, frampul bad- tempered, full of peevishness
franchis’d free
franchise freedom from servitude
frank sb. sty for hogs; adj. generous; free from restraint; v. shut in a sty
franklin freeholder, rich yeoman
fraught sb. freight, cargo; adj. laden, supplied; v. burden
fraughtage freight, cargo
frayed frightened
French crown French gold coin; head bald through syphilis
frequent familiar, in company (with)
fresh freshwater spring
fret chafe, wear away; rot; ferment; adorn, ornament; equip with frets (see frets)
frets ridges on a lute to guide the fingering
fretten fretted, chafed
friend sb. family member; lover; v. befriend; at friend, to friend friendly, as a friend
frieze coarse cloth
frippery old clothes shop
friskins leapings about
front sb. forehead, face; v. face, oppose; march in front
frontier rampart; border fortress
froward recalcitrant, awkward
frush beat, hammer
fub rob, cheat; fub off = fob off
fullam kind of false dice
fulsome full, abundant; foul
fumiter the fumitory plant, a weed
Furies mythological fiends who punished crimes
furnishings decorations, trimmings
furniture equipment; horse’s gear
fury transcendental state; poetic inspiration
fury-innocent (?) one innocent of fury
fust become musty
fustian sb. coarse cloth; nonsense; adj. bombastic, highflown
fustilarian (?) fustilugs (a gross woman)
gaberdine cloak
gad spike; upon the gad = suddenly (as if pricked with a spike)
gage sb. pledge, especially to fight; v. pledge, engage, bind
gaingiving misgiving
gainsay deny, forbid
Galen famous Greek physician and author of medical textbooks
gall sb. suffering; indignation; v. vex, hurt
Gallian Gallic, French
galliard dance punctuated by capers (little leaps)
galliass large ship
gallimaufry jumble, mixture
gallow scare
Gallowglasses axe-wielding Irish soldiers
gallows person who will or should be hanged
gamut musical scale
Ganymede beautiful youth whom an enamoured Jupiter transported to heaven to be the cupbearer of the gods
garboil uproar, disturbance
Gargantua giant from French folklore, made famous by the work of Rabelais
garland crown; hero
Garmombles Evans’s version of ‘German nobles’, close to ‘geremumble’, an obscure term of abuse; with probable allusion to Count Mömpelgard, a German noble who aspired to be elected Knight of the Garter
garnish sb. clothes; v. clothe, decorate
gaskins wide breeches
gastness dread; ghastliness
gaud showy ornament, triviality
gaudy bright, ornate, festive
gaze thing gazed at; (in hunting) at gaze = distracted
gear purpose; matter, business
geck dupe
gemini pair, as of twins
gender sb. genus, sort; v. procreate, breed
generosity those of noble birth
generous of noble birth
genitivo‘i
n the genitive case’ (Lat.)
genius spirit, especially a person’s guardian spirit
gentility good birth and breeding; good manners
gentle sb. gentleman or gentlewoman; adj. noble, well bred; adv. nobly; v. ennoble
gentry nobility; noble behaviour
George badge of St George worn by Knights of the Order of the Garter
german, germane sb. close relative; adj. closely related
germen seed
gest stage in a journey, especially a royal progress; great deed, usually chivalric
get beget, sire
ghasted frightened
ghost sb. corpse; v. haunt
gib male cat
gift giving
gig spinning-top
giglet, giglot dizzy woman; strumpet
gillyvors gillyflowers
gimmaled made with gimmals (see gimmer)
gimmer gimmal, mechanical joint
gin snare, trap
gird sb. taunt, reproof; v. sneer or scoff (at)
glance sb. innuendo; v. rebound; make an oblique, usually disparaging, hint
glass sb. mirror; hour-glass; glass eyes = spectacles
glaze glare
gleek sb. scoff, gesture of contempt; v. scoff
glib geld, castrate
globe head; name of Shakespeare’s theatre
glose, gloze sb. marginal comment; superficial word-play; v. interpret or comment as if with scholastic glosses; use false, attractive language
gloss attractive external appearance
glut swallow hungrily
go walk; go to = expression of scorn or disbelief (cf. go on, get away)
goatish lecherous, as goats were supposed to be
gobbet chunk of flesh
God dig-you-den, God gi’ good e’en, God ’i’ good e’en, God ye good e’en, God-den, good den (God give you) good evening
God ’ild (may) God yield (reward)
God’s lid see ’Slid
good good for credit, wealthy
good dild see God ’ild
goodly handsome
goodman title for people below the rank of gentleman; husband
good-year, what the exclamation of surprise
goose tailor’s iron; short for Winchester goose (= prostitute); sore caused by veneral disease
gorbellied bigbellied
Gordian knot according to legend, an impossibly complex knot to be untied only by he who would go on to rule Asia; Alexander the Great cut it with his sword
gore-blood clotted blood
gorge vomit
gorget throat armour
Gorgon one of three monsters, the most famous being Medusa, whose look turned the viewer to stone
gospell’d instructed in the precepts of the gospel
gossip sb. godparent; merry, talkative woman; v. stand as a godparent; be merry in company
gourd kind of false dice
gout drop of liquid
government self-discipline, self- control; in government = under control
graceful blessed; favourable
graff, graft sb. grafted (i.e. hybrid) plant; v. graft, cross- breed by implanting a shoot into a plant of a different kind
grafter plant from which the shoot is taken for grafting (see graff)
grain, in fast dyed, ingrained; purple-in-grain = red
grained ingrained; bearing or displaying the grains found in timber
gramercy great thanks
grand guard heavy armour worn on horseback
grange farm house sometimes belonging to a religious estabishment
grate vex, annoy
grateful pleasing
gratify reward; make pleasant
gratulate adj. gratifying; v. greet; gratify, satisfy
grave bury, entomb; carve, engrave
greasily obscenely
great morning broad daylight
’gree agree
greeing suitable
Greek reveller, person with relaxed moral standards
Greensleeves popular English ballad about an inconstant woman
grievance distress, trauma
grieve sorrow; offend
gripe sb. clutch; vulture or eagle; v. grip, clutch
grise, grize stair, step
groat coin; ten groats = an attorney’s fee
ground (in heraldry) coloured background; (in music) air on which variations are sung or played
groundlings theatregoers who stood in front of the stage
ground-piece (?) exemplary painting
grow (of a sum of money) grow due; grow to a point = come to a stop; grow upon = encroach on
guardant guard; Jack guardant = petty official (cf. Jack)
guards trimmings of a garment; stars in the Ursa Minor constellation used for navigation
guidon pennant, flag
guilder gold coin
guiled deceitful, full of guile
guinea-hen (?) cunning woman; (?) prostitute
guise usual practice
gules (in heraldry) red
gull sb. nestling; credulous fool; hoax; v. trick, fool
gummed treated with gum, glossy
gurnet small fish considered a delicacy
gust sb. taste, appetite; v. get a taste of, realize
Guy, Sir Guy of Warwick, hero of an early English romance
gyve sb. fetter; v. fetter
H letter of the alphabet pronounced ‘aitch’, so sounding like the Elizabethan pronunciation of the word ‘ache’
habiliment attire, dress
habit clothing, garments; bearing, disposition
habited dressed
habitude character, disposition
hack (?) associate with loose women
hackney prostitute
hade land part of the field where the plough turns around, and so planted last
haggard sb. wild hawk; adj. wild
haggled hacked
hag-seed offspring of a hag
hair sort, kind, nature; against the hair = against the grain
halberd battle-axe on a long pole; one armed with a halberd
halcyon kingfisher, supposed when hung up to turn its beak with the wind; halcyon’s days = period of calm
half partner, wife
half-blooded having only one parent of noble blood
half-caps caps taken only half off, slight salutations
half-cheek profile
half-cheeked (of a horse’s bit) giving insufficient control
half-face profile
half-faced showing a face in profile; pinched-faced
half-kirtle skirt portion of a kirtle (see kirtle)
half-sword very close quarters
halidom state of being holy; anything regarded as holy
halloo, hallow call, shout
Hallowmas All Saints’ Day (1 November)
hand-fast custody; marriage contract
handsaw small saw; (?) heron
handy-dandy take your choice (from a children’s game)
hanger straps attaching the sword to the girdle
haply by chance
happiness handsomeness
harbinger one who runs on ahead
hard-haired with tightly curled hair
hardiment valour; deeds of valour
hardness difficulty
harlot sb. person of loose life; beggar; adj. lewd
harlotry good-for-nothing
Harry ten shillings half-sovereign coined under Henry VII
hatch lower half of a divided door
hatchment tablet displaying a coat of arms
haud credo‘I do not believe’ (Lat.)
haught haughty, arrogant
haughty high-pitched, ambitious
hautboy oboe
havoc signal for indiscriminate slaughter
hay country dance; (in fencing) thrust reaching the antagonist
hazard sb. dice game; risk; stake; v. risk
head sb. headland, promontory; subdivisi
on; armed force, advance; v. behead; head and front = height
headstall part of the bridle that fits round the head
heady-rash impetuously violent
heap great company, crowd; on a heap = prostrate
heavy serious, grievous; sad; tiresome
hebenon poison
Hecate goddess of witchcraft
hectic fever
Hector Trojan hero
Hecuba Queen of Troy
hedge-pig hedgehog
hefts heavings, retchings
hempseed one deserving to be hanged
hent sb. seized opportunity; v. seize; reach
herb of grace rue
herblet small herb
Hercules legendary hero, supposedly a kinsman of Theseus; Hercules and his load = Hercules bearing the world on his shoulders, perhaps the sign at the Globe Theatre
Hero lover of Leander (see Leander)
Herod biblical tyrant
he’s he shall
Hesperus the planet Venus
hest behest, command
hey-day, heyday exclamation of surprise or joy
Hic et ubique‘Here and everywhere’ (Lat.)
Hic ibat Simois, hic est Sigeia tellus, / Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis ‘Here ran the river Simois; here is the Sigeian land; here stood old Priam’s lofty palace’ (Lat., Ovid)
hic jacet‘here lies’ (Lat.)
Hiems Winter
high and low false dice
high-day see hey-day
high-lone alone, without support
high-proof in the highest degree
high-stomached high-spirited, haughty, stubborn
hight is called
hild held
hilding contemptible person of either sex, coward
hind female deer; rustic servant; boor
hint occasion, opportunity
hipped having a dislocated hip- bone
Hiren seductive woman (from the name of a character in a play by Peele)
hit agree; hit of = hit on
hive hat
hoar adj. mouldy; whitish; v. become mouldy; whiten (with disease)
hobby-horse character in the morris-dance; buffoon; loose woman
hodge-pudding pudding or sausage made of hodge (pigs’ entrails)
holding consistency; refrain of a song
holidame see halidom
holp helped
holy-ales rural festivals on saints’ days
holy-rood day feast of the Holy Cross (14 September)
holy-thistle see carduus benedictus
home thoroughly
honest worthy, decent; truthful; chaste
honesty uprightness, decency; chastity; generosity
honey-stalks clover flowers
honorificabilitudinitatibus stock comic example of a long (Latin) word
honour honourable deed
hood (of a hawk) blindfold
hoodman-blind blind man’s buff
horn deer; sign of a cuckold
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 582