Act I - Scene I Rome. A Street — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Act I - Scene I Rome. A Street

mechanical (adjective)

Belonging to the laboring or artisan class; a manual worker or craftsman.

cobbler (noun)

A person who mends shoes; also used in Elizabethan English to mean a clumsy, bungling worker.

soles (noun)

The bottom parts of shoes; used here as a pun on "souls" (spirits or moral character).

awl (noun)

A small pointed tool used for making holes in leather, especially in shoemaking.

neat's leather (noun)

Cowhide; leather made from cattle ("neat" is an archaic word for cattle).

triumph (noun)

In ancient Rome, a ceremonial procession granted to a victorious military commander, featuring captives and spoils of war.

tributaries (noun)

Conquered people or rulers who pay tribute (taxes or goods) to their conqueror as a sign of submission.

senseless (adjective)

Lacking the power of sensation or feeling; incapable of perceiving.

battlements (noun)

Fortified walls or parapets at the top of a castle or building, with openings for defense or observation.

replication (noun)

An echo or reverberation of sound; the act of a sound being repeated.

concave (adjective)

Curved inward, like the inside of a bowl; here describing the hollow, arching shape of the riverbanks.

cull (verb)

To select or pick out from a group; here meaning to single out and declare a special day.

intermit (verb)

To temporarily stop, suspend, or withhold something.

basest (adjective)

Of the lowest quality or value; here a pun meaning both the lowest social rank and the most ignoble character.

ceremonies (noun)

Decorations or ornaments used in religious or public rituals; ceremonial adornments placed on statues.

vulgar (noun)

In Elizabethan usage, the common people or the general public, without the modern negative connotation.

pitch (noun)

In falconry, the highest point a hawk reaches in flight; used metaphorically for the height of one's ambition or status.

servile (adjective)

Excessively submissive or obedient, like a slave; showing a lack of independence.