Part V - Chapter III — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Part V - Chapter III

pettifogging (adjective)

Engaging in dishonest or trivial legal quibbling; practicing law in a petty, underhanded way.

calumny (noun)

A false and malicious statement designed to damage someone's reputation; slander.

harangue (noun)

A lengthy, forceful, and aggressive speech; a passionate oration.

vehemence (noun)

Great forcefulness or intensity of feeling or expression; passionate conviction.

consumptive (adjective)

Suffering from tuberculosis; wasting away from disease. In 19th-century literature, often used to describe someone visibly ill and emaciated.

commissariat (noun)

A government department responsible for military supplies; here refers to a minor government clerk.

parabola (noun)

A symmetrical curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane; here describes the arc of the note as it falls through the air.

vise (noun)

A clamping device with two jaws; used figuratively to describe a tight, unyielding grip.

admonishing (verb (present participle))

Warning or reprimanding someone firmly but not harshly; giving earnest advice or caution.

insolence (noun)

Rude and disrespectful behavior; bold impudence or contemptuous arrogance.

indelicate (adjective)

Lacking in tact or sensitivity; slightly improper or tasteless.

lajdak (noun)

A Polish word meaning scoundrel, rogue, or villain.

impudently (adverb)

In a shamelessly bold or disrespectful manner; brazenly.

estrange (verb)

To cause someone to become unfriendly or alienated; to drive apart.

submissiveness (noun)

The quality of being ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meek compliance.

emaciated (adjective)

Abnormally thin and weak, especially from illness or lack of food; here used figuratively to describe exhaustion.