Chapter 3 - The Spouter Inn — Vocabulary
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from Chapter 3 - The Spouter Inn
- wainscots (noun)
- Wood paneling on the lower part of interior walls, often decorative.
- besmoked (adjective)
- Darkened or discolored by exposure to smoke.
- delineate (verb)
- To describe, portray, or depict with precision.
- portentous (adjective)
- Ominously significant; serving as a warning of something momentous or calamitous.
- leviathan (noun)
- A sea monster or enormous creature; in biblical tradition, a great whale or serpent.
- bulwarks (noun)
- The sides of a ship above the upper deck; also, a defensive wall or barrier.
- skrimshander (noun)
- Variant of scrimshaw; the art of carving or engraving on whale ivory or bone, or objects made by this craft.
- obstreperously (adverb)
- In a noisy, unruly, and difficult-to-control manner.
- nonplussed (adjective)
- Completely baffled or bewildered; at a total loss.
- farrago (noun)
- A confused mixture; a hodgepodge or jumble of things.
- counterpane (noun)
- A bedspread or coverlet, typically quilted or decorative.
- grego (noun)
- A heavy overcoat or cloak, especially one worn by sailors.
- manikin (noun)
- A small figure or model of the human body; a little man.
- psalmody (noun)
- The singing or chanting of psalms or sacred songs.
- conjured (verb)
- Solemnly urged or implored; earnestly entreated.