CHAPTER 45 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 45

hackney chariot (noun)

A horse-drawn carriage available for hire, similar to a modern taxi.

chamberlain (noun)

An attendant at an inn or lodging house who manages rooms and attends to guests.

wicket (noun)

A small door or gate, especially one forming part of or set beside a larger one.

tester (noun)

A canopy or covering over a four-post bed, forming a ceiling-like frame above the sleeper.

rush-light (noun)

A dim candle made by dipping a dried rush pith in tallow, used as an inexpensive night-light.

Argus (noun (allusion))

In Greek mythology, a giant with a hundred eyes, used here to describe something that stares relentlessly and cannot be shut out.

postern (noun)

A back or side entrance, especially a small door in a fortification or castle wall.

fealty (noun)

Loyalty or faithfulness owed to a lord, employer, or cause; here, Wemmick's professional loyalty to Jaggers.

circumlocution (noun)

The use of many words or indirect language to express something that could be said more directly.

rakish (adjective)

Jaunty or dashing in style, suggesting a carefree or slightly disreputable appearance.

packet-boat (noun)

A boat that carried mail, passengers, and goods on a regular schedule between ports, often crossing the English Channel.

portable property (noun phrase)

Movable valuables such as money, jewelry, or banknotes that can be easily carried; Wemmick's euphemism for Magwitch's wealth.

tenement (noun)

A dwelling place or set of rooms rented as a residence; here used to mean temporary lodging.

purser (noun)

An officer on a ship responsible for keeping accounts and managing provisions and finances.

doleful (adjective)

Full of grief or sadness; dreary and dismal.