Glossary of Terms
451 degrees Fahrenheit: The temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns.
Burning Bright: From William Blake's poem, "The Tiger"
cacophony: A variety of harsh, jarring sounds heard all at once.
Clarisse: A name derived from the Latin word for "brightest".
dentifrice: Any preparation for teeth cleaning.
Guy Montag: His first name refers to Guy Fawks, a man who plotted to blow up British Parliament in 1605. Montag, a trademark of Mead (an American paper company), makes stationary and furnaces.
Icarus: Son of Daedalus in Greek mythology. He flew too close to the sun and his wings made of wax melted, sending him plummeting to his death.
infinitely: Lacking limits or bounds, specifically regarding time.
November 4: Historically, the eve of Guy Fawkes' "Gunpowder Plot" to burn the British Parliament, a plan meant to destroy James I who oppressed Catholics. In F. 451, the firemen play cards together on Nov. 4.
phoenix: In Egyptian mythology a bird that, after a long life, sets itself on fire, and then rises from the ashes to begin a new life.
pratfall: Slang for falling on one's rear end. Often used in burlesque routines.
proboscis: A tubular organ used for smell and sense. The human proboscis is the nose.
salamander: Amphibian resembling a lizard. In mythology, salamanders are said to live through fire without burning.
theremin: An early electronic musical instrument whose sound is controlled by moving the air between two antennae.
trench mouth: An infectious disease producing mouth ulcers in the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat.
V-2 Rocket: The first long-range liquid fueled missile carrying one ton of explosives, used first by the Germans in WWII.
Vesuvius: A volcano in Italy, near Naples, that erupted in 79 A.D., burying Pompeii in volcanic ash.
ClassicNote on Fahrenheit 451
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