ACT IV - Scene V — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from ACT IV - Scene V

pennyworths (noun)

Small amounts or portions; here used to mean small bits of sleep taken greedily.

aqua vitae (noun)

A strong alcoholic spirit, literally meaning "water of life" in Latin; used as a restorative in times of shock.

lamentable (adjective)

Deserving of grief or sorrow; pitifully bad or regrettable.

deflowered (verb (past participle))

Deprived of virginity or beauty; here used metaphorically to mean that Death has taken Juliet as a bride.

solemnity (noun)

A formal ceremony or celebration; also the quality of being serious and dignified.

beguiled (verb (past participle))

Deceived, tricked, or charmed in a misleading way.

pilgrimage (noun)

A long journey, especially one undertaken for a religious or moral purpose; here used metaphorically for the passage of time.

dirges (noun)

Slow, mournful songs or pieces of music performed at funerals or in memory of the dead.

corse (noun)

An archaic or poetic form of "corpse"; a dead body.

crotchets (noun)

Quarter notes in music; also used figuratively to mean whims, fancies, or eccentric notions.

gleek (noun)

A jest, taunt, or mocking trick; an Elizabethan term for a scornful joke.

pestilent (adjective)

Annoying, troublesome, or harmful; literally meaning capable of causing plague or disease.