Glossary of Terms
amicably: with friendliness; cooperatively
amnestied: pardoned
angler: a person who schemes to get something
apostle: an early leader of a new reform movement
arbitrate: to settle; to mediate
assiduous: persistent; diligent
bankrupt: in a state of financial ruin; destitute
bawd: a prostitute
benefactrice: a woman who gives monetary aid as a gift
Brahms: German classical composer (1833-1897)
brandy: an alcoholic drink made from distilled fruit juice
brazen: self-assured; insolent
bribe: a benefit given in exchange for certain conduct
cask: a barrel containing liquids
clangor: a loud clanging noise
coffers: funds; a treasury
Cognac: a high quality brandy
commandeered: taken by force; appropriated
communism: a political system where an authoritarian state controls the economy and divides goods equally amongst the citizens toward a collective vision of social order
commuter: a train transporting individuals back and forth from home to work (usually from the countryside or suburbs to a larger city)
compatriots: fellow citizens
condone: to excuse and allow
connive: to scheme; to plan an illegal action
conscience: one's sense of right and wrong
consternation: a state of terror
corpse: a dead body
Court of Appeal: a court to which appeals are made with regard to the judgment of a lower court
crockery: pots, jars, and dishes
denunciation: a public denouncement
distrain: to seize goods or property to force the payment of a debt
emigrated: to migrate to another country
emphatically: forcefully expressed
endowment: a gift of funds or property to a group
eunuch: a man whose testes have been removed and traditionally guards a woman's bedchamber
exorbitant: outrageously high
foundry: a factory where metal is melted and cast
Goethe: famous German poet, writer, and scientist (1749-1832)
grotesquerie: the state of being distorted and unnatural
homely: plain; unattractive
homicidal: capable of murder
humanitarian: one who advances the general human welfare; one who helps alleviate suffering
impassively: without emotion or expression
indignation: anger at an injustice
infernal: demonic; hellish; cruel
ironmongery: a hardware store
laymen: ordinary men without expert knowledge (not a part of the professional class or of the clergy)
liturgy: a form or rite of public worship
lorgnette: opera glasses
marrow: the tender innermost part of the bone
metamorphose: to transform
misdemeanors: petty crimes
morale: state of confidence
nihilistic: extremely skeptical of moral values
oath: a promise to tell the truth
on credit or account: to make purchases with the promise to pay later
opera-recitative: a passage sung in the rhythm of natural speech
opium: a highly addictive narcotic derived from poppy flowers
outmoded: no longer fashionable; no longer useful
pallid: lacking color; wan
paternity: fatherhood
pawned: to give some thing as a pledge on a loan
periphery: the outer boundary; perimeter
perjury: the deliberate breach of an oath to tell the truth by giving false testimony
perseverance: persistence; tenacity; determination
piteous: arousing compassion
poacher: someone who illegally hunts or catches fish
portals: entryways
portentous: overbearing pompousness
prodigal: lavish; extravagent; generous
ramrod: to watch over and force
ramshackle: ill-kept; broken-down; disintegrating
redeem: to make free of debt; to restore honor
sedan-chair: a covered chair for one person, usually lifted by two men
serviette: a napkin
soughing: murmuring; sighing
soutane: a long garment worn by the clergy with buttons down the front
spectre: an apparition or ghost
spires: steeples; the top part of a structure that tapers into a point
spurn: to reject with scorn
starlet: a young actress predicted to become a great film star
stethoscope: a medical instrument used to listen to the body
tatterdemalion: ragged; shabby
threadbare: old and frayed
toil: to work under difficult conditions
trysting-place: a meeting place; a designated place for a secret rendezvous
tuberculosis: an infectious disease where bacteria collects in the lungs
ClassicNote on The Visit
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