ACT III - Scene I — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from ACT III - Scene I

contumely (noun)

Insulting language or treatment; insolent or arrogant rudeness, especially from a person of authority.

quietus (noun)

Death; a final settlement or release from obligation. From the Latin phrase meaning "he is quit."

bodkin (noun)

A small, pointed dagger or stiletto. In modern usage, a blunt needle for threading tape or ribbon.

fardels (noun)

Burdens or heavy packs; loads carried on one's back.

bourn (noun)

A boundary, limit, or frontier; especially a point from which there is no return.

consummation (noun)

The act of bringing something to completion or fulfillment; a final outcome.

orisons (noun)

Prayers; devotional acts of worship or supplication.

calumny (noun)

The making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.

espials (noun)

Spies or persons who observe secretly; the act of espionage.

ecstasy (noun)

In Elizabethan usage: madness, frenzy, or a state of being beside oneself (distinct from the modern meaning of intense joy).

inoculate (verb)

To graft; to introduce a good quality into something corrupted, as grafting a healthy shoot onto old stock.

niggard (adjective)

Miserly, stingy, or reluctant to give or share.

sicklied (verb (past participle))

Made pale or sickly in appearance; weakened by an overlay of something unhealthy.

calamity (noun)

A great misfortune or disaster; a state of deep distress caused by major loss or affliction.

burthen (noun)

An archaic spelling of "burden"; a heavy load, either physical or emotional.