East of Eden Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

abysmal

very bad; without hope; terrible

barbarism

savagery

deter

restrain; resist

elixir

delicious drink; healthful drink

four bits

fifty cents

hard-pan

rock layer

hell-bent

determined; stubborn; unstoppable

indecipherable

impossible to read; puzzling

intermeshed

intermingled; mixed

jailbird

prisoner

mare

female horse

marksman

expert shooter

mend

fix; repair; sew

outskirts

immediately outside

paradox

contradiction; irony

pummeled

beaten

quarter-section

small area of land

regiment

troop of soldiers

salinas

salt

san Quentin

prison

sanctuary

safe place

six bits

seventy-five cents

syphilis

venereal disease

taciturn

quiet; instrospective

tallow

fat used for candles

thunderhead

dark cloud

timshel

Hebrew verb meaning "thou mayest"

translucent

semi-transparent; limited ability to see

two bits

a quarter

unkempt

untidy; dirty; disheveled

weathered

survived; aged

weltschmertz

painful world; depression; melancholia