ACT V - Scene I — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from ACT V - Scene I

crowner (noun)

A dialectal form of "coroner," the official who investigates deaths.

se offendendo (noun phrase)

The gravedigger’s malapropism for "se defendendo" (in self-defense), a Latin legal term used in inquests.

argal (adverb)

The gravedigger’s corruption of "ergo" (Latin for "therefore"), used in logical arguments.

count’nance (noun)

Privilege, favor, or official sanction (short for "countenance").

stoup (noun)

A drinking vessel or flagon, typically used for ale or wine.

jowls (verb)

To knock or dash something forcefully against the ground.

mazzard (noun)

Slang for the head or skull.

quiddits (noun)

Subtleties or fine legal distinctions (variant of "quiddities").

quillets (noun)

Quibbles or trivial legal objections.

recognizances (noun)

Legal bonds or obligations recorded before a court, binding a person to a specific action.

equivocation (noun)

The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid giving a direct answer.

kibe (noun)

A sore or ulceration on the heel caused by cold, similar to a chilblain.

Rhenish (noun)

Wine from the Rhine region of Germany.

gorge (noun)

The contents of the stomach; the feeling of nausea or revulsion.

obsequies (noun)

Funeral rites or ceremonies honoring the dead.

strewments (noun)

Flowers or herbs strewn on a grave or coffin as part of a funeral ceremony.

splenitive (adjective)

Hot-tempered or quick to anger (relating to the spleen, believed in Elizabethan medicine to be the seat of anger).

esill (noun)

Vinegar, or possibly a river; something bitter or unpleasant to drink.