Chapter 19 - The Prophet — Vocabulary
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from Chapter 19 - The Prophet
- confluent
- Flowing together; merging into one. In medicine, describes lesions or markings that run together to form a continuous surface.
- sauntering
- Walking in a slow, relaxed manner without hurry or effort.
- apparelled
- Dressed or clothed, especially in a particular way.
- investing
- Wrapping or covering; surrounding or enveloping (archaic usage, distinct from the financial meaning).
- reverie
- A state of being pleasantly lost in thought; a daydream or meditation.
- derisive
- Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking.
- ineffable
- Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words; indescribable.
- bamboozle
- To deceive or cheat someone through trickery or confusion.
- bugbear
- An object of needless or excessive fear; an imaginary monster used to frighten children.
- humbug
- A fraud or impostor; deceptive or dishonest behavior or talk.
- skrimmage
- An archaic or dialectal spelling of skirmish; a brief, violent fight or confrontation.
- calabash
- A gourd or vessel made from the dried shell of a gourd, used as a container.
- parmacetti
- A dialectal or colloquial form of spermaceti; here used as shorthand for a sperm whale.
- apprehensions
- Anxious or fearful anticipation of something bad happening; uneasy forebodings.
- ambiguous
- Open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning; unclear or inexact.
- dogging
- Following someone closely and persistently; trailing or shadowing.