ACT II - Scene I — Vocabulary
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from ACT II - Scene I
- conjure (verb)
- To summon a spirit or supernatural force through a magical ritual or incantation.
- humours (noun)
- In Elizabethan medicine, the four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile) believed to determine temperament and mood.
- purblind (adjective)
- Partially blind or having impaired vision; nearly blind.
- demesnes (noun)
- A domain or territory; lands attached to a manor or estate.
- gossip (noun)
- In Elizabethan usage, a close friend or familiar companion (not the modern sense of idle talk).
- consorted (verb)
- To keep company with; to associate or accompany.
- humorous (adjective)
- In Elizabethan English, damp or moist (from "humor" meaning moisture); also moody or temperamental.
- medlar (noun)
- A fruit tree whose fruit is only edible when overripe and soft; used in Elizabethan literature as a bawdy pun.
- truckle-bed (noun)
- A low bed on wheels that could be stored under a larger bed; a trundle bed, often used by servants or children.
- spite (noun)
- Malicious ill will; a deliberate act intended to cause harm or annoyance.
- invocation (noun)
- The act of calling upon a higher power or spirit for aid; a formal appeal or summons.
- trim (adverb)
- In archaic usage, in a precise or skillful manner; neatly or deftly.