Chapter 53 — Vocabulary
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from Chapter 53
- prodigiously
- To an enormously great extent; extraordinarily; immensely.
- adieus
- Farewells; parting words or gestures (plural of adieu, from French).
- simpers
- Smiles in an affectedly coy or ingratiating manner.
- forlorn
- Pitifully sad and lonely; desolate.
- canvassed
- Discussed or debated thoroughly.
- twelvemonth
- A period of twelve months; one year. A common term in Regency-era English.
- complaisance
- A willingness to please others; obliging agreeableness.
- officious
- Asserting authority or giving help in an intrusive, meddlesome way.
- covies
- Small flocks of game birds, especially partridges (variant spelling of coveys).
- irremediable
- Impossible to cure, correct, or repair.
- conjecture
- An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information; a guess.
- lustre
- A gentle sheen or soft glow; radiance or brilliance.
- sedate
- Calm, composed, and unhurried in manner or character.
- curtsey
- A formal greeting made by bending the knees, performed by women as a sign of respect.
- paddock
- A small enclosed field near a house, used for keeping or exercising horses.