PREFACE — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from PREFACE

entertain (verb)

To receive and give attention to someone or something; here, to welcome and engage with the book's contents.

breast (noun)

The chest or heart, used figuratively to mean the innermost part where secrets or truths are kept.

bless (verb)

To bestow spiritual benefit or divine favor upon someone.

pilgrims (noun)

People who undertake a long journey, especially for spiritual or religious purposes; here, those seeking moral improvement.

pilgrimage (noun)

A journey undertaken for spiritual or moral growth, often to a sacred destination.

Mercy (proper noun)

A character from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress; a young woman who represents compassion and early devotion to a virtuous life.

damsels (noun)

An archaic word for young unmarried women or maidens.

prize (verb)

To value highly or regard as precious; here, to appreciate the spiritual world to come.

tripping (adjective)

Walking or stepping lightly and nimbly; here, suggesting youthful grace and innocence.

maids (noun)

An archaic term for young girls or unmarried women; here, referring to the young female readers and characters of the novel.

saintly (adjective)

Resembling or befitting a saint; extremely holy, virtuous, or morally excellent.

trod (verb)

Past tense of "tread"; to have walked or stepped upon a path.

thee (pronoun)

An archaic second-person singular pronoun meaning "you," used as the object of a verb or preposition.

thou (pronoun)

An archaic second-person singular pronoun meaning "you," used as the subject of a sentence.

dost (verb)

An archaic second-person singular form of the verb "do," used with "thou."