ACT II - Scene II — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from ACT II - Scene II

vouchsafe (verb)

To condescend to grant or bestow; to give graciously.

expostulate (verb)

To reason earnestly with someone; to discuss or examine a matter at length.

brevity (noun)

Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech; shortness of expression.

perpend (verb)

To consider carefully; to ponder or reflect upon.

fishmonger (noun)

Literally, a seller of fish; in Elizabethan slang, a pimp or procurer.

indifferent (adjective)

In Shakespeare's usage: ordinary, average, neither particularly good nor bad.

promontory (noun)

A high ridge of land or rock jutting out into a body of water; a headland.

firmament (noun)

The sky or heavens, especially as conceived as an arched vault over the earth.

quintessence (noun)

The purest, most essential form of something; in medieval philosophy, the fifth element beyond earth, water, fire, and air.

paragon (noun)

A model of excellence or perfection; an ideal example.

eyrie (noun)

The nest of a bird of prey, typically built high on a cliff or tree; by extension, a brood of young hawks.

appurtenance (noun)

An accessory or item associated with a particular activity or style of living; an adjunct.

caviary (noun)

An archaic spelling of caviar; used figuratively to mean something too refined for common appreciation.

conceit (noun)

In Elizabethan usage: imagination or a mental conception; the ability to form ideas or images in the mind.

visage (noun)

A person's face or facial expression, especially as an indicator of emotion.

malefaction (noun)

An evil deed; a crime or wrongful act.

bisson (adjective)

Blinding; causing blindness. An archaic or dialectal word.

entreaty (noun)

An earnest or humble request; a plea.