CHAPTER 42 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 42

vagrancy (noun)

The state of wandering from place to place without a fixed home or lawful occupation; in Victorian England, a criminal offense.

committal (noun)

The act of being sent to prison or an institution by a court order.

felony (noun)

A serious criminal offense, typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.

misdemeanour (noun)

A minor criminal offense, less serious than a felony, typically punishable by a fine or short imprisonment.

pardner (noun)

Dialectal pronunciation of "partner"; here meaning a criminal associate or accomplice.

dab (noun)

An expert or skilled person at something.

stocks (noun)

A wooden frame with holes for confining a person's feet and hands as a form of public punishment.

tracts (noun)

Short religious or moral pamphlets distributed to promote spiritual reform.

Decline (noun)

A wasting illness, typically tuberculosis or another chronic disease leading to death. Often capitalized in Victorian usage.

shroud (noun)

A cloth or sheet wrapped around a dead body for burial.

dock (noun)

The enclosed area in a criminal court where the defendant stands during trial.

prosecution (noun)

The legal party responsible for presenting the case against a person accused of a crime in a court of law.

counsellor (noun)

A barrister or lawyer who pleads cases in court.

abhorrent (adjective)

Inspiring disgust or loathing; repulsive.

black-hole (noun)

A punishment cell or solitary confinement on a prison ship; a dark, confined space used for discipline.

Bridewells (noun)

Houses of correction or local prisons, named after the original Bridewell Palace in London which was converted to a workhouse and prison.