Chapter 8 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 8

ownlife (noun)

A Newspeak term for individualism and eccentricity, especially the habit of enjoying solitude or pursuing private interests outside Party-approved activities.

proles (noun)

Short for proletarians; the working class of Oceania, comprising roughly 85% of the population. The Party considers them politically harmless and subjects them to minimal surveillance.

pensioner (noun)

A person receiving a regular payment, especially from the government, after retirement. In the novel, the old man in the pub is a pensioner from the pre-Revolutionary era.

lacquer (noun)

A hard, glossy coating applied to surfaces such as wood or metal to give a polished, decorative finish. Mr. Charrington's shop contains lacquer snuffboxes.

hemisphere (noun)

A half of a sphere. Used to describe the shape of the glass paperweight Winston purchases.

antiquarian (adjective)

Relating to the study or collection of old and rare objects, especially books. Describes Mr. Charrington's scholarly interest in relics of the past.

farthing (noun)

A former British coin worth one quarter of a penny, abolished in 1960. It appears in the nursery rhyme Mr. Charrington recites.

gateleg (adjective)

A type of table with hinged legs that swing out like gates to support folding leaves, allowing the table to expand or collapse.

engraving (noun)

A print made from an engraved plate, block, or other surface. The steel engraving on the wall of Charrington's room depicts St. Clement Danes church.

hearthrug (noun)

A rug placed in front of a fireplace. The room above the junk shop has a rag hearthrug, contributing to its old-fashioned domestic comfort.

snuffbox (noun)

A small, ornamental container used for holding powdered tobacco (snuff), commonly carried in the 18th and 19th centuries.

mantelpiece (noun)

A shelf above a fireplace, often used to display decorative objects. The twelve-hour clock sits on the mantelpiece in Charrington's room.

ominous (adjective)

Giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen; threatening or sinister.

relic (noun)

An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical interest. The paperweight and other items in Charrington's shop are relics of the pre-Party world.