o’erteemed exhausted by bearing children
o’er-watch’d, o’erwatched exhausted through lack of sleep
o’erwhelm hang over
o’er-wrested overdone
off-cap take off one’s cap or hat out of respect
offend trouble, injure
offer attempt; threaten violence
office sb. duty; official or body of officials; v. act as a servant; deter by means of one’s station
offices servants’ quarters, pantry, etc.
old plenty of; ‘fine old’
omit neglect, disregard; forbear to use
omittance omission
omne bene all’s well (Lat.)
onyers a grand-sounding title, possibly sherrifs owing debts to the king
ope open
open-arse the medlar fruit (seemedlar)
operant working, effective
operation effective power
opinion reputation; general opinion; (adverse) judgement; (high) opinion of oneself
opposeless unable to be opposed
opposite sb. opponent; adj. opposed, antagonistic
opposition combat
oppress distress
oppression distress
oppugnancy antagonism, opposition
or ere, before; or … or = either … or
orb ring; earth; seesphere
ordinance that which is ordained by God, providence, tradition, etc.; order; ordnance, artillery
ordinant ordaining, directing
ordinary supper, as served in a tavern
orgulous haughty
orifex orifice, opening
orison prayer
ort left-over, scrap
orthography correct spelling, hence pedantic style of speaking
ostent appearance, show
ostentation public display, formal show
ostler groom, stable-boy
othergates in another way
Ottomite Ottoman, Turk
ouches gems, brooches
ought owed
ounce lynx
ousel blackbird
outbrave outdo in bravery or splendour (cf.brave)
out-crafty outdo in craftiness
outdure outlast
out-peer excel
outvied outbidden
outward sb. outside, exterior; adj. on the outside of secret affairs
ovator one who receives ovations
overhear hear over
overhold value too highly
overlook seeo’erlook
over-peer, overpeer seeo’erpeer
overscutched worn out
overture opening, disclosure, declaration
Ovid Roman poet, author of Metamorphoses, a long poem telling stories of transformation, and erotic verse which may have contributed to his exile among the Getae (Goths)
owe own; bear
oyez (Fr.) ‘hear ye’, a call for order before a public announcement
pace sb. horse’s trained walk; way, passage; v. train or exercise (a horse) in walking
pack sb. conspiracy; v. conspire; be in league; pack off, go; pack cards with seecard
packing intrigue
paddock toad
pageant sb. spectacular show or float; v. mimic, as in a pageant
pain sb. penalty; labour, pains; v. put to pains
painful involving labour; undergoing labour
painted hollow, false; painted cloth = decorative wall hanging painted with familiar figures
pair-taunt like as if holding a better hand (at cards)
pajock (?) peacock, supposed to be lecherous; (?) patchock (rogue)
palabras seepaucas pallabris
pale sb. pallor; fence; rail; enclosure; v. make pale; enclose
palfrey small horse
palisadoes iron-pointed stakes
pall lose force; wrap
Pallas Greek goddess associated with law and wisdom
pallet basic bed
palliament candidate’s gown
palmer pilgrim
palmy flourishing, victorious
palter equivocate, use deceit
pandar, pander sb. pimp, go- between; v. serve, as a pandar
Pandion father of Philomel and Progne (seePhilomel)
pantaloon stock figure of the foolish old man in Italian comedy
Pantheon a temple in Rome
pantler servant in charge of the pantry
paper sb. statement of one’s crime worn as a public penance; v. send a note to
Paracelsus innovative Swiss physician
paradox improbable or unusual proposition
paragon put forward as a paragon; surpass; parallel
Parca one of the Parcae, the Latin name for the Fates (seeFates)
parcel sb. group, band; item, part, bit; v. particularise
parcel-gilt partly gilded
pard leopard
Paris-balls tennis-balls
Parish top large spinning-top
Parish-garden Paris Garden in London where bear-baiting took place
paritor officer of the Ecclesiastical Courts
parle parley, talk
parlous perilous, dangerous
parmacity spermaceti, used as a medicinal treatment
part sb. ability, accompishment; quality; action; v. depart; in part = in part-payment
partake take sides; partake to = share with
partaker confederate
parted gifted, accomplished; (of the eyes) unfocused
partial of partiality
partialize make partial
partially by or with partiality
particular regard; personal concern, duty or motive
partisan pike-like weapon
Partlet traditional name for a hen
parti-coated dressed in a fool’s outfit (cf.motley)
party-verdict share in a joint decision
pash sb. head; v. bash
passado forward lunge with a sword
passant (in heraldry) walking position
passenger traveller
passion sb. strong emotion; suffering, esp. the final sufferings of Christ; passionate speech; v. suffer; express passion
passionate adj. compassionate; v. express passionately
passy measures pavin = passe- measure pavan, a stately dance
patch sb. jester, clown; v. make, as from patches
patchery fool’s play, cheating
paten shallow metal dish, as used in Holy Communion
patent entitlement, licence
patience sufferance, permission
patronage patronise, defend
pattern sb. example, model; v. set a precedent (for)
paucas pallabris Sly’s version of ‘pocas palabras’ (Sp.= ‘few words’)
pauca verba few words (Lat.)
Paul’s St Paul’s Cathedral, London, a centre for trade and the hiring of servingmen
paunch rip or stab the belly
pax representation of Christ kissed by worshippers at Mass
peach seeappeach
peak languish, become emaciated
pearl cataract
peat pet, sweetheart
peck sb. reasonable-sized vessel; v. seepick
peculiar own, personal, private
pedant schoolmaster
pedascule from ‘pedasculus’ (pseudo-Lat. = little pedant)
peeled tonsured
Pegasus winged horse associated with the hero Perseus
peise weigh (down); balance
pelf possessions, booty
pelican bird supposed to feed its young with its own blood
Pelion like Ossa and Olympus, a famous mountain from Greek antiquity
Pelops boy to whom the gods gave an ivory shoulder
pelt scold
pelting trivial, petty, worthless
pencil paintbrush
pencilled painted
pendulous overhanging
Pene gelidus timor occupat artus ‘Cold fear almost seize
s the limbs’ (Lat.)
penner pen-holder
penn’orth, pennyworth bargain (often in a bad sense)
pensioner royal attendant
Penthesilea an Amazon queen
Pepin French king of the eighth century
Per Stygia, per manes vehor‘I am carried through the Stygian regions, through the realm of shades’ (Lat., after Seneca) (cf. Styx)
peradventure perhaps
perdie by God (an oath)
perdition loss; ruin
perdu sentinel placed in a fatally exposed position
perdurable everlasting, imperishable
perdy seeperdie
peregrinate like one who travels abroad
peremptory determined, obstinate, high-handed
perfect adj. matured; ripe, prepared; learned; v. finish; enlighten, instruct
perfection achievement, fulfilment
perfumer one who fumigates rooms with pleasant scents
perge continue (Lat.)
periapts amulets, charms
period sb. end-point, goal; full- stop, pause at the end of sentence; v. end
perjure sb. perjurer; v. force into perjury
perniciously fatally, to the point of death
peroration oration, speech
perpend weigh, consider
persistive persistent
perspective optical illusion or a glass device for producing one
pert quick, sharp
pervert divert
pester obstruct, trouble
petard bomb
pettish peevish
pew-fellow companion at church
Phaëthon, Phaeton, Phaëton son of Phoebus (seePhoebus) and stepson of Merops; attempting to drive Phoebus’ sun chariot, he failed to control its horses and almost crashed into the earth, whereupon Jupiter killed him with a lightning bolt
phantasma nightmare
phantisime person given to flights of fancy
Philip traditional name for a sparrow; Philip and Jacob = feast of SS. Philip and James (1 May)
Philippan from the Battle of Philippi, where Antony and Octavius defeated the republicans
Philomel, Philomela daughter of King Pandion, she was raped and mutilated by her brother-in- law Tereus but revealed her ordeal by depicting it in a tapestry; she was subsequently transformed into a nightingale (cf.Progne)
philosopher’s stone means of transforming base metal into gold
Phoebe the goddess Diana when represented as the moon
Phoebus the god Apollo in his role as sun god and father of Phaeton (seePhaëthon)
phoenix fabulous bird supposed to be one of a kind and to rise again from its ashes
phraseless that defies the power of language
phthisic consumptive cough
physic sb. medicine; v. mend, heal
physical healthy, therapeutic
pia mater membrane in the brain, hence brain
pick hurl
picked select; dandified, refined
pickers and stealers hands
pickthanks flatterers
Picked-hatch seedy district of London
’pie magpie
pie church service book; see’pie
piece sb. coin; wine cask; masterpiece, paragon; insulting term for a woman; v. supplement; piece out, piece up = add to, increase
pigeon-liver’d incapable of anger
pight pitched; set, determined
pike pitchfork; spike set in the centre of shield
pilcher scabbard
pill pillage, take by force; peel, strip
Pillicock penis; Pillicock Hill = female genitals
pin nothing, an irrelevance; (in archery) bullseye; pin and web = cataracts
pinch sb. nip; v. vex, irritate; (of an animal) nip with the teeth
pinfold pound for stray animals
pinioned bound
pinked with small holes or slits cut (in material or finished garment)
pioned (?) covered in flowers; (?) dug out
pip spot on a playing card, hence one point
pipe-wine wine from a cask
Pippen seePepin
pismire ant
pitch sb. height; Pitch and pay = ‘cash only’
Più per dolcezza che per forza ‘More by gentleness than by force’ (Ital.)
place sb. safe place; (in falconry) a hawk’s highest pitch; v. employ; take place = become respectable
placket skirt or slit in a skirt
plain-song basic melody
planched made of planks
plant sole of a foot
plantage plant growing
plantain plant used for basic first aid
plantation planting; colonization
plash puddle
plate sb. coin; v. dress in armour
plausible worthy of applause
plausibly with applause
plausive approved, worthy of applause; plausible
Plautus Roman writer of comedies
pleached intertwined, as the branches of a hedge; hedged
pleasant jesting
please-man flatterer
pleurisy inflamed excess
plight sb. pledge, promise; v. pledge, swear; in plight = physically fit
plume up (?) make a show of, as a bird ruffles its feathers
Pluto god of the underworld
Plutus personification of wealth, sometimes imagined as its god
point sb. lace for tying garments; sword; signal; pinnacle; v. appoint, assign; at point = ready, prepared; in every detail; about
point-device, point-devise adj. neat, exact; adv. exactly
poise sb. weight; v. weigh, consider; counterpoise
poke large bag
poking-sticks rods used for the stiffening of ruffs
Polack sb. Pole; adj. Polish
pole star; standard
polecat whore
policy politics; wisdom; strategy; stratagem
politic political
politician plotter, schemer
pole-clipped hedged in by tall stakes (?); pruned short
polled lopped, cleared; bald
pomander perfume ball
pomewater popular type of apple
Pomgarnet‘Pomegranate’, the name of a room
pompous characterized by pomp, magnificent, stately
poop overcome
Poor-John, poor-John dried, salted hake
popinjay parrot
popular common, of the people
popularity the people
porpentine porcupine
porridge soup, broth
porringer fancy hat, shaped like a dish
port sb. portal, gate; (high) position in life; attitude, behaviour; v. bring to port
portable supportable
portage voyage (through life); porthole
portance attitude, behaviour
portion dowry
posied engraved with a posy (seeposy)
position proposition, tenet advanced
possess give possession; tell, give to understand
posset sb. drink made by curdling hot milk with wine; v. curdle
post sb. messenger; horse; adv. quickly; v. hurry; in post = quickly; post off = defer
poster one who travels quickly
postern small side-gate
post-post-haste urgently
posy short motto engraved on a ring
potable seemed’cine
potato supposed to be an aphrodisiac
potch jab, poke
potency power, authority
potential potent, commanding
potents potentates, rulers
pother uproar, riot
potting drinking
pottle half-gallon tankard
pouncet-box box containing perfume
powder pickle in salt
powdering-tub pickling barrel; Pistol’s reference to the sweating tub (seetub)
power military force; person in authority; faculty
&nb
sp; pox syphilis
practic practical
practice trick, machination; doing, performance
practisants accomplices
practise plot
praemunire writ issued against one who prefers papal to sovereign authority
praetor Roman magistrate
praise sb. virtue, merit; v. appraise; praise in departing = do not praise too soon
prank offensive act
preambulate walk before
precedence that which has preceded
precedent sb. example; sign; original; adj. earlier, previous
preceptial of precepts or moral instruction
precipitation precipitousness, sharpness of a drop
precise morally scrupulous, puritanical
precisian puritanical guide in religious matters
pre-contract future contract of marriage
precurrer precursor
precurse that which precedes by way of an omen
predicament category; situation
predominance ascendency, predominant influence (seeinfluence)
predominant in the ascendent, a powerful planetary position
prefer bring forward; bring to attention, recommend; promote
pregnancy sharpness of intellect
pregnant skilful; ready, open; clear
prejudicate judge in advance
prejudice sb. detriment, disadvantage; v. harm
premeditation meditation on the future
premised predestined
prenominate adj. aforenamed; v. say in advance
pre-ordinance established rule
preparation military force; quality, gift
preposterous topsy-turvy, perverse
prerogative privilege, precedence
presage prediction, omen
prescript sb. order, instruction; adj. prescribed
prescription claim based on long standing possession
presence presence chamber, where royalty entertains visitors
present sb. present moment; document; adj. sudden, immediate; ready; v. act; lay before a court
presentation representation, image
presently at once
presentment presentation; representation
press sb. licence for conscription; cupboard; v. conscript; torture with crushing weights
pressure image, as if impressed on wax
Prester John legendary ruler of a medieval Eastern kingdom
presuppos’d previously laid down
pretence intention
pretend intend; claim; propose; show
prevent anticipate, pre-empt
prevention anticipation, forestalling
price value
prick sb. mark; point aimed at in archery; v. mark; urge; clothe
pricket two-year-old male deer
pricksong singing from printed music
pride highest pitch; splendour; lust
prig tinker, thief
prime sb. spring; adj. first, principal; sexually aroused
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 585