Chapter XXVII — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter XXVII

emulated (verb)

Matched or rivaled; here meaning that the destruction previously spread over months was now equaled by what happened in mere hours.

fain (adverb)

Gladly or willingly; an archaic word meaning they would have been happy to do something if they could.

divined (verb)

Perceived or understood through intuition rather than direct evidence; sensed the truth instinctively.

supplicating (adjective)

Humbly begging or pleading; making an earnest request with an attitude of submission.

enigmatical (adjective)

Mysterious and difficult to understand; puzzling in a way that resists easy interpretation.

attenuated (adjective)

Made thin or weak; reduced in force, effect, or physical substance. Here it describes Linton's wasted, skeletal fingers.

paroxysm (noun)

A sudden, violent outburst of emotion or physical reaction; an intense episode or fit.

importunity (noun)

Persistent, urgent, and sometimes annoyingly pressing pleading or demands.

vivisection (noun)

The practice of performing surgical experiments on living creatures; Heathcliff uses it metaphorically to express a desire to torture the young people for amusement.

expeditiously (adverb)

Quickly and efficiently; with prompt and purposeful action.

derelictions (noun)

Failures to fulfill one's duties or responsibilities; acts of neglect.

cogitating (verb)

Thinking deeply or carefully about something; pondering or deliberating.