little, in a in brief
livelihood life, liveliness
lively living; lifelike
liver dweller; organ supposedly responsible for intense feeling, especially love; liver vein = vein or style of love
livery (in law) delivery or transfer of property
lob sb. lout, rustic; v. droop
lockram linen fabric
lode-star the Pole star
lodge flatten, beat down
loggets game of throwing pieces of wood at a target
London Stone a rounded block of stone in Cannon Street, London
’long, long belong
long purples kind of wild orchis
long-staffsixpenny strikers robbers who attack their victims with long poles
’loo, loo a shout of encouragement to dogs or hounds (cf. halloo)
loofed (?) aloof, at a distance
look before certain words is an idiomatic equivalent of adding ‘ever’, e.g. look how = however;look what = whatever
look upon stand by and watch
loon rogue, low-bred person
looped full of holes
loose sb. firing of an arrow; adj. unattached, independent; v. fire (an arrow); let loose, release
lop cuttings from a tree
Lord’s sake, for the begging cry of prisoners at their windows
lose cause to lose; bring to ruin; let slip, forget
lots to blanks, it is (?) ‘the chances are’
love-in-idleness pansy
lover friend
lown see loon
lozel rogue
lubber oaf; Quickly’s word for ‘leopard’ (cf. libbard)
luce pike
Lucina goddess of childbirth, properly a surname of Juno (see Juno)
lucre gain, acquisition
Lud’s town London, after King Lud, Cymbeline’s grandfather
luggage baggage, encumbrance
lunes lunatic fits
Lupercal = Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival at which participants ran around striking the citizens with animal skins
lurch rob
lure apparatus used by a falconer to recall his bird
lust pleasure
lustihood vigorous health
lustique in sprightly fashion
lusty cheerful; lustful
Lux tua vita mihi‘Thy light is life to me’ (Lat.)
luxurious lecherous
luxury lechery
Ma foi‘(by) my faith’ (Fr., an oath); ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m’en vais voir à la court la grande affaire = ‘by my faith, it’s very hot. I’m going to court, the great business’
Machiavel amoral intriguer, after the Italian politician, Niccolò Machiavelli
maculate spotted, blemished
maculation spot, blemish
madrigal song
magnanimious, magnanimous great-hearted, noble
Magni dominator poli, / Tam lentus audis scelera, tam lentus vides? ‘Ruler of the great heavens, are you so slow to hear crimes, so slow to see?’ (Lat., after Seneca)
magnifico Venetian of high social standing
magot-pies magpies
Maid Marian a bawdy role in the morris-dance
mail sb. suit of armour; small bag; v. dress in armour; wrap (a hawk) in cloth
main sb. main part; sea; mainland; army; stake in a dice game; adj. strong; important; v. maim
main-course mainsail
mainly mightily; greatly
major basic premise in an argument
majority distinction, preeminence
make sb. partner; v. do; make fast, shut; make one’s way, move;make one = join in
making bodily form
malapert insolent
malicho iniquity
malkin wench
malmsey strong, sweet wine
malt-horse, malthorse brewer’s horse
malt-worms, maltworms beer drinkers
mammet doll
mammock tear into shreds
mamm’ring hestitating, stuttering
man tame; use as a weapon
manage sb. management; (of a horse) training, exercise; v. take control of (a horse)
mandragora the mandrake plant (see mandrake)
mandrake poisonous plant supposed to issue a fatal shriek when uprooted
man-enter’d entered like a man
manhood manliness, masculinity
mankind masculine, savage
manner, taken with the caught red-handed
mansionry dwelling
mantle scum resting on the surface of stagnant water
manu cita with ready hand (Lat.)
map image
mapp’ry map-reading
Marches, marches Welsh or Scottish borders
marchpane marzipan
margent margin, hence notes, accompanying explanation
mark marking, observation; quantity of money; (in archery) something aimed at
market profit
marry a mild oath, from the name of the Virgin Mary
Mars god of war and lover of Venus (see Venus)
Martial of Mars, hence warlike, etc.
Martin’s summer, Saint good weather late in the year (St Martin’s day = 11 November)
martlemas St Martin’s day (cf.Martin’s summer, Saint)
martlet swift or house-martin
Mary-buds marigolds
mast acorns, chestnuts and similar
mastic violently abusive
mate match; check, put at a loss
material of matter, substantial
maugre despite
maund basket
mazard, mazzard head
Me pompae provexit apex‘The crown of the triumph has led me on’ (Lat.)
meacock tame, spiritless
meal’d, mealed mixed, of a piece
mean sb. middle position or course; middle voice in vocal or instrumental music; v. moan, lament
measurable fit, suitable
measure sb. dance or piece of music; punishment; v. tread, cross
mechanic, mechanical sb. manual labourer, artisan; adj. performing manual labour, common
Medea enchantress who rejuvenated her father-in-law Aeson and murdered her brother Absyrtus
Medice, teipsum physician, (heal) thyself (Lat.)
med’cinable, medicinable medicinal, curative
med’cine, medicine sb. doctor; drug, potion; (in alchemy) the elixir reputed to turn base metals into gold; v. heal;med’cine potable = drug containing gold
meditance meditating
medlar fruit eaten when almost rotten; prostitute
meed merit; payment
meetly fair, not bad
Mehercle by Hercules (Lat.)
meinie, meiny multitude; retinue
melancholy depression, associated with a thickening of the blood
Meleager Calydonian prince who, with Theseus and others, hunted down a local boar
mell associate, have intercourse
memorize make memorable
memory memorial, souvenir
mercatante merchant (Ital.)
Mercurial of Mercury, hence fleet of foot, etc.
Mercury the messenger god, associated with eloquence; he was depicted with winged sandals
mere utter, total
mered defined, marked out
merit reward, desert
mess serving of food; group of diners occupying a ranked position at table
metaphysical supernatural
mete judge; aim or level
metheglin potent spiced mead
method, by the in the same style
mew confine (a bird) in a cage
Mi perdonato excuse me (Ital.)
micher one who plays truant
miching lurking, stealthy
mickle great
microcosm man as the universe in miniature; map ofmy microcosm = my face
milch in milk, lactating
Mile-End Green drill-ground east of London
for citizens under training and a place for fairs and shows
milk-livered chicken-hearted
milliner seller of gloves and fancy apparel
mill-sixpences silver sixpences
mince trivialize; walk or talk in an affected, gamesome manner
mind have in mind, mean; call to mind; notice
mineral poison; mine
Minerva goddess of wisdom and of arts and crafts
minikin high-pitched
minim basic short note-value in Tudor music
minime not in the least (Lat.)
minimus tiny creature
minion favourite or mistress; slut
Minotaur a monster, half bull and half man, placed in a labyrinth by Minos, King of Crete
minute-jacks clock figures (cf. jack)
minutely very frequent, by the minute
mirable admirable, marvellous
mirror pattern, example
Misanthropos man-hater (Gr.)
mischief sb. evil; misfortune; disease; v. harm
mis-dread fear of evil
miser wretched person
misgoverned unrestrained, rebellious
misgovernment misconduct
misgraffed ill-matched
misprision misunderstanding, blunder; disdain; false imprisonment
misproud arrogant, inappropriately proud
missive messenger
mistake take wrongly; misunderstand, misjudge
misthink think badly of, misjudge
mistress (in bowls) the jack
mo see moe
mobbled with face muffled
mockery, mock’ry semblance, imitation
model pattern; mould
modern trite, commonplace
modest moderate, sober
modestly moderately, restrainedly
modesty moderation
module pattern, image
moe more
moiety portion, sometimes a half
moldwarp mole
mome fool, ass
momentany momentary
Monarcho the name used by a famously vain contemporary Italian at the English court
Monmouth cap soldier’s cap
monster make monstrous
monstruosity monstrosity
montant (in fencing) upward thrust (Fr.)
monument sign, omen
monumental serving as a sign or token (of identity, etc.)
mood anger; expression of feelings; (in music) scale, mode
mooncalf creature born deformed
Moor-ditch a notoriously filthy ditch in London
mop sb. grimace; v. grimace like a monkey
mope be or wander about in a daze, lack awareness
moralise, moralize expound morally or symbolically
Morisco morris-dancer
morris morris-dance
mort call of the hunting-horn announcing the death of the deer
mortified insensate, subdued
mortifying life-depriving
mortise part of a joint in carpentry
mose in the chine (?) display the symptoms of glanders (a disease in horses) in its final stages
mot motto, device
mote speck, mentioned by Christ as a metaphor for trivial sinfulness (cf. beam)
mother tenderness; see Hysterica passio
motion sb. puppet or puppet- show; appeal, proposal; impulse, feeling; v. move, propose; upon the foot of motion = at the stage of being expressed
motive mover, cause or instrument
motley pied garments of a jester
mould earth, clay, the mortal human body
moulten having moulted
mountebank swindle in the manner of a mountebank (a pedlar of quack medicines)
mouse sb. term of affection for a woman; v. treat as a cat treats a mouse
mouse-hunt one who hunts women, rake (cf. mouse)
mow sb. grimace; v. grimace mockingly
mulled dulled
mummer performer in a dumb- show
mummy dried human flesh used as the basis for a medicinal liquid
muniments military supplies or defences
murd’ring-piece cannon with a spraying shot
mure wall
murrain, murrion sb. plague in cattle or other animals; adj. infected
muscadel sweet wine
muse marvel (at); complain
musit hole in a hedge; hiding place
musk-cat musk-deer
muss game in which children scramble for objects thrown on the ground
mutine sb. mutineer; v. mutiny
mutiny sb. dispute; v. riot
mutton prostitute; laced mutton = prostitute
mutual shared, common; intimate
mutuality familiarity, intimacy
mutually together; reciprocally
myn-heers gentlemen (Dutch)
Myrmidons followers of Achilles in the Trojan war; the great Myrmidon = Achilles (see Achilles)
mystery art or craft, calling
Nabuchadnezzar = Nebuchadnezzar, Babylonian king whom God punished by driving him into the wilderness where he ate grass like an ox
nail one-sixteenth of a yard
naked unarmed; in naked bed = undressed and in bed
napless worn, threadbare
Naso family name of the poet Ovid, from nasus (Lat.= ‘nose’)
native sb. natural source; adj. innate, natural; naturally connected
natural sb. congenital idiot; adj. idiotic
naturalize familiarize
naught sb. wrongdoing; adj. bad, worthless; all to naught = worthless; be naught awhile = petty insult
naughty bad, worthless
nave hub or boss of a wheel; navel
nay-ward direction of disbelief
nay-word, nayword password; byword
Nazarite Nazarene, i.e. Christ
ne intelligis domine?‘do you understand, sir?’ (Lat.)
neaf fist (dial.)
Neapolitan bone-ache syphilis
near-legged knock-kneed
neat sb. ox; adj. trim, fancy
neb beak, nose or mouth
neeze sneeze
neglect cause to be neglected
Nemean of Nemea, where lived a fearsome lion; Hercules slew it and wore its hide
nephew cousin; descendant
Neptune god of the sea
Nereides benevolent sea-nymphs
Nero Roman emperor who had his mother murdered and was supposed to have played a harp while Rome burned
nerve nerve or sinew
nervy courageous; sinewy
Nessus centaur killed with a poisoned arrow by Hercules for abducting his wife; the bloodied shirt was later worn by Hercules who was driven to suicide by its residual poison
Nestor Hellenic king famed for his advanced age and wisdom
nether-stocks stockings for the lower legs
next closest
nice easy-going; delicate, particular; refined; slight
nicely subtly; strictly, particularly; daintily
niceness daintiness
nicety scruples
Nicholas, Saint patron saint of scholars; Saint Nicholas’ clerks = highway robbers
nick v.(?) cut short; (?) emasculate; in the nick = at that point; out of all nick = beyond measure
nickname miscall; find new names for
niggard act meanly; stint
night-gown dressing-gown
night-rule affairs of the night
nimble-pinion’d swift-winged
nine-men’s-morris rustic game played on a diagram cut in turf
Niobe mother of fourteen children slain by Apollo and Diana, transformed into stone as she wept
noble gold coin
noise sb. concert or small company of musicians; report, rumour; v. report, rumour;noise it = cry out
nole noddle, head
nonce, for the for the occasion, as the occasion requires
non-come Dogberry’s word for ‘non plus’ (L
at. = ‘bewilderment’), confused with ‘non compos’ (Lat. = ‘mentally defective’)
nonpareil unrivalled paragon
nonsuit reject, with respect to a suit
nook-shotten full of nooks and corners, misshapen
nose-herbs scented plants
note sb. mark of disgrace; mark, characteristic; notice, apprehension; record; v. mark with disgrace
notedly assuredly
nothing able to be pronounced ‘noting’ (= observing, tune, etc.); sb. triviality; adv. in no way
notion intellect, awareness
Novi hominem tanquam te‘I know the man as well as I know you’ (Lat.)
novum dice game at which nine and five were high scores and perhaps interchangeable
noyance annoyance, harm
nuncio messenger
nursery care, nurturing
nut-hook, nuthook beadle
O spot; spangle, star; the Globe Theatre; vagina; sigh; prayer
oafs children of elves or fairies
oathable able to be placed under oath
ob. for ‘obolus’ (Lat.), used in England of a half-penny
objection accusation or criminal charge
obligation contract
obliged bound by contract
obliquy (?) obliquity, perversity; (?) seeobloquy
oblivious causing oblivion or forgetfulness
obloquy slander, shame
obsequious of obsequies or funeral rites; loyal
observance observation; deference, respect; ritual
observant fawning attendant
observation performance of a rite; respectful attention
observe court; pay due respect to
obstruction lack of movement
occasion matter; need; fault; opportunity, proverbially represented as bearing a forelock (or ‘front’) which should be seized
occident the west
occulted concealed, secret
occupation labour, trade
occupy have sex
occurrents occurrences
oddly unevenly
’Od’s, Od’s‘God’s’ or ‘God save’ (in oaths)
oeillades meaningful, amorous looks
o’erblow blow away
o’ercount outnumber
o’ercrow triumph over
o’er-dy’d weak with overdyeing
o’er-eaten gnawed at and bitten
o’er-flourish’d elaborately carved or ornamented
o’er-galled made excessively sore
o’erlook, overlook look over, examine, read; curse, bewitch
o’ermaster make oneself master of
o’erparted assigned a theatrical part above one’s capabilities
o’erpeer, over-peer, overpeer look down upon
o’erpicturing outdoing in pictorial qualities
o’er-posting passing over
o’er-raught, o’erraught o’erreached (seeo’erreach)
o’erreach cheat; overtake
o’ersized smeared over, as with size (seesize)
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 584