Glossary of Terms
akimbo: body position -- hands on hips, elbows bent outward
apoplectic: on the verge of having a stroke
arbor: an outdoor area shaded by trees
asafoetida: strong smelling substance made from parsley that is often used in folk medicine
bantam cock: a small agressive rooster
bridgework: sections of replacement teeth (not full dentures) than can be easily inserted and removed
calomel: a laxative often used to rid a person of intestinal worms
catawba worms: caterpillars; highly prized as fishbait in the American South
changelings: a child secretly put in the place of another
chiffarobe: a large cabinet with drawers and a place for hanging clothes
collards: cabbage with very coarse, thick leaves
cootie: slang term for a head louse
dog-trot hall: a covered passageway between two parts of a building
eddy: a whirlpool or current of water that moves against the current
edification: instruction or education
entailment: legal issue regarding inheritance
fey: strange or eccentric
Franklin stove: a cast iron heating stove invented by Benjamin Franklin
guile: craftiness and cunning
habiliments: clothing
haint: ghost or spook
hock: the joint of a pig's leg
hookah: a tobacco pipe of Eastern origin that draws smoke through a bowl of water
hookworm: a parasite that enters the body through the feet and settles in the small intestine
Jew's Harp: small musical instrument played by plucking a piece of metal while holding the instrument to one's mouth.
kudzu: a large leafed quick-growing vine of the South
largo: a musical term meaning "a very slow tempo"
manacles: handcuffs
mimosa: a tree or shrub, often specifically a silk tree
morphodite (hermaphrodite): Scout hears Miss Maudie call her and Jem's snowman a "morphodite". Miss Maudie most likely said "hermaphrodite", which is an animal or plant with both male and female reproductive organs.
myopic: near-sighted
nome: "no ma'am"
obstreperous: noisy and unruly
palliate: to lessen pain
plaited: braided
Providence: the care of God
ringworm: a contagious skin disease caused by fungus
roly-poly: a small bug that can turn itself into a ball. Also known as a pillbug
rotogravure print: a kind of photograph
ruttin': slang for having sexual intercourse
scrip stamps: paper money of small denominations issued by government agencies for temporary emergency use; particularly common during the Great Depression
scuppernogs: sweet grapes grown in the American South
shinny: slang term for whiskey
smockin': decorative stitching that gathers fabric
switches: small thin twigs or branches
tollable: Mayella's pronunciation of "tolerable"
trousseau: the new clothes a woman brings to her marriage
voile: a thin, cotton like fabric
widow's walk: a platform with a rail around it built on the roof of a house, named for women who would stand on it and wait in vain for their husbands' ships to return to port
ClassicNote on To Kill a Mockingbird
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