Chapter 63 - The Crotch — Vocabulary
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from Chapter 63 - The Crotch
- crotch (noun)
- A notched stick used as a vertical rest for harpoons on a whaleboat; more generally, a forked or branching support.
- gunwale (noun)
- The upper edge or rail of a boat's side.
- irons (noun)
- Harpoons; sharp metal weapons used to strike and hold whales.
- convulsive (adjective)
- Involving sudden, violent, involuntary muscular contractions; marked by uncontrollable spasms.
- anticipatingly (adverb)
- In advance; in a manner that prepares for what is expected to follow.
- jeopardy (noun)
- Danger of loss, harm, or death; a state of extreme peril.
- curvetting (verb (present participle))
- Prancing or leaping about in a lively, erratic manner; originally a term from horsemanship for a particular leap.
- skittishly (adverb)
- In a nervous, excitable, unpredictable manner; like a startled animal.
- prodigious (adjective)
- Remarkably great in extent, size, or degree; enormous.
- elucidate (verb)
- To make clear or explain; to shed light on something complicated or obscure.
- intricate (adjective)
- Very detailed, complicated, or involved; having many interrelated parts.