Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

apocryphal

Of questionable authorship or authenticity.

apothecary

One that prepares and sells drugs and other medicines; a pharmacist.

baize

An cotton or woolen material napped to imitate felt and used chiefly as a cover for gaming tables.

balderdash

Nonsense.

blasphemous

Impiously irreverent.

blazoned

To adorn or embellish with or as if with a coat of arms.

cabinet

A small or private room set aside for a specific activity.

carbuncles

A deep-red garnet, unfaceted and convex.

cheval-glass

A long mirror mounted on swivels in a frame.

coquetry

Dalliance; flirtation.

cupola

A vaulted roof or ceiling.

Damon and Pythias

Greek mythology. According to a Greek legend: when Pythias was sentenced to be executed Damon took his place to allow Pythias to get his affairs in order; when Pythias returned in time to save Damon the king was so impressed that he let them both live.

diaphanous

Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent; delicate.

ebullition

The state or process of boiling.

eddy

A current, as of water or air, moving contrary to the direction of the main current, especially in a circular motion.

exorbitant

Exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness.

hansom

A two-wheeled covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind.

imperious

Arrogantly domineering or overbearing.

incredulous

Skeptical; disbelieving.

infallibility

Incapable of erring.

insidiously

Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner.

Juggernaut

An overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path.

lawny

Having a lawn; characterized by a lawn or by lawns; like a lawn.

maladies

A disease, a disorder, or an ailment.

malefactor

One that has committed a crime; a criminal.

mottled

To mark with spots or blotches of different shades or colors.

multifarious

Having great variety; diverse.

pall

A covering that darkens or obscures

penitence

The condition or quality of being penitent; regret for wrongdoing.

phial

A vial.

premonitory

A presentiment of the future; a foreboding.

protege

One whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by an influential person.

Sawbones

A physician, especially a surgeon.

stringent

Imposing rigorous standards of performance; severe.

tabernacle

A place of worship.

tincture

A coloring or dyeing substance; a pigment.

troglodytic

A member of a fabulous or prehistoric race of people that lived in caves, dens, or holes, or a person considered to be reclusive, reactionary, out of date, or brutish.

undemonstrative

Not disposed to expressions of feeling; reserved.

vainglorious

Characterized by or exhibiting excessive vanity; boastful.

vapour

Barely visible or cloudy diffused matter, such as mist, fumes, or smoke, suspended in the air.