Chapter 73 - Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale and Then Have a Talk Over Him — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 73 - Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale and Then Have a Talk Over Him

brit (noun)

Tiny marine organisms, especially krill or plankton, that serve as food for baleen whales such as Right Whales.

leviathan (noun)

A very large sea creature; in Moby-Dick, used as a synonym for whale, originally from biblical Hebrew.

maelstrom (noun)

A powerful whirlpool or any turbulent, violently swirling body of water.

larboard (noun)

An archaic nautical term for the port (left) side of a ship when facing the bow.

gamboge (adjective)

A yellowish-orange pigment or resin; here used to describe a sickly yellow complexion.

oakum (noun)

Loose fiber obtained by unpicking old ropes, used for caulking seams in wooden ships.

flukes (noun)

The two lobes of a whale's tail, used for propulsion through the water.

counterpoise (noun)

A counterbalancing weight or force that offsets another; an equilibrium.

panniers (noun)

Baskets or bags hung in pairs on either side of a pack animal for carrying loads.

orlop (noun)

The lowest deck of a ship, typically below the waterline, used for storage.

double-darbies (noun)

Handcuffs or shackles; slang for heavy restraints applied to a prisoner.

soladoes (noun)

A dialectal or humorous corruption of "soldados" (soldiers), referring to Spanish adventurers.

fagged (adjective)

Exhausted, worn out, or fatigued from exertion.

skylarking (verb)

Engaging in playful, boisterous, or frivolous behavior; joking around.

Laplandish (adjective)

Relating to Lapland or its indigenous people; here meaning superstitious or mystical, as the Sami people were associated with sorcery in European folklore.