CHAPTER 38 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 38

scrabble (verb)

To scratch or scrape something laboriously onto a surface; to scrawl or engrave with difficulty.

scutcheon (noun)

A shield or shield-shaped emblem bearing a coat of arms; short for escutcheon.

dexter (adjective)

In heraldry, the right-hand side of a shield (from the perspective of the person holding it).

saltire (noun)

A heraldic charge in the form of a diagonal cross, shaped like the letter X.

couchant (adjective)

In heraldry, lying down with the head raised, describing the posture of an animal on a coat of arms.

embattled (adjective)

In heraldry, having a border or edge shaped like the battlements of a castle wall.

engrailed (adjective)

In heraldry, having an edge decorated with small, concave semicircular indentations.

nombril (noun)

In heraldry, the point just below the center of the shield, derived from the French word for navel.

sable (adjective)

In heraldry, the color black; also used figuratively to describe something dark or somber.

forsook (verb)

Past tense of forsake; to abandon or desert, especially in a time of need.

pison (adjective)

Dialect pronunciation of "poison"; used as an intensifier meaning extremely or dreadfully.

smouch (verb)

To steal or pilfer; a dialectal variant of "mooch" or "smooch" meaning to take something secretly.

grindstone (noun)

A thick revolving disk of stone used for grinding, sharpening, or polishing metal tools.

superintended (verb)

Supervised and directed the execution of a task or activity; oversaw work being done by others.

rubbage (noun)

Dialect form of "rubbish"; discarded waste material or useless objects.

mullen (noun)

Variant spelling of "mullein"; a tall plant with woolly leaves and yellow flowers, common in fields and waste ground.