ACT V - Scene I — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from ACT V - Scene I

presage (verb)

To foretell or predict; to serve as a warning or sign of a future event.

flattering (adjective)

Giving a falsely favorable or pleasing impression; deceptively encouraging.

bosom's lord (noun phrase)

The heart or love; here used as a metaphor for the emotion that rules Romeo's inner life.

presently (adverb)

Immediately; without delay (Elizabethan usage, different from the modern sense of "soon").

post (verb)

To travel with speed, especially by means of relays of horses (post-horses).

misadventure (noun)

An unfortunate incident; bad luck or disaster.

simples (noun (plural))

Medicinal herbs or plants used in preparing remedies.

caitiff (noun / adjective)

A wretched, despicable, or cowardly person (used here with a tone of pity rather than contempt).

dram (noun)

A small quantity or dose, especially of medicine or poison; also a unit of weight (one-eighth of an ounce).

dispatch (verb)

To kill or put to death quickly; to send off with speed.

cordial (noun)

A medicine or drink that revives or comforts; something restorative. Romeo uses the word ironically for the poison.

penury (noun)

Severe poverty; extreme destitution.

utters (verb)

Sells or puts into circulation (Elizabethan legal usage); different from the modern primary sense of "speaks."