abysmal
immeasurably terrible
alchemy
the study of how to transform base materials into gold and create the elixir of life. In "Harry Potter," Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel successfully master the art of alchemy and create the Sorcerer's stone.
amble
stroll
animagus
a witch or wizard who possesses the magical ability to turn him or herself into an animal. In "Harry Potter," Professor McGonagall is an animagus: she can transform herself into a tabby cat.
askew
crooked
Beater
a player in the magical sport of Quidditch. Out of each seven-player team, two Beaters attempt to hit Bludgers toward members of the opposing team.
berserk
wild or insane
bewilder
confuse
bezoar
a stone taken from the stomach of a goat; a key ingredient in many magical potions and a cure for most poisons
biased
to be prejudiced against someone or something, often unfairly
blimy
a British slang word used to express surprise
Bludger
a black ball that attempts to knock players off their brooms in the magical sport of Quidditch
boater
a stiff straw hat
centaur
a creature with the torso and head of a human and the body and legs of a horse. In "Harry Potter," the Forbidden Forest is populated by several centaurs.
Chaser
a player in the magical sport of Quidditch. Each of the three Chasers attempts to throw the Quaffle through one of six rings on the opposing team's side.
chipolata
a small pork sausage
chortle
chuckle or laugh
confiscate
to take with authority
contrary
opposite
crane
to stretch the neck to allow for better visibility
cringe
to shrink or cower, often in fear
crumpet
a small round bread, similar to a muffin
Daily Prophet, the
the national newspaper for the magical community in England
disgruntled
sulky or annoyed
diversion
an attempt to distract another party; often used in terms of warfare
engulf
immerse
ensnare
entangle or trap
fanatic
an individual who demonstrates excessive enthusiasm for a cause, often to the point of insanity
feeble
weak
festoon
a decorative string, often of flowers or ribbons
fixedly
steadfast or unwavering
flimsy
thin or weak
Galleon
Wizarding money made of gold
galoshes
waterproof boots
gangling
lanky or awkwardly tall
gibber
to speak unintelligibly
Gringotts
the wizarding bank in London that is run by goblins
Gryffindor
one of the four houses at Hogwarts; founded by Godric Gryffindor, who prized courage and daring among his students. In "Harry Potter," Harry, Ron, and Hermione are placed in Gryffindor.
herbology
the study of magical herbs and plants. In "Harry Potter," Professor Sprout teaches herbology to Harry's class.
Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by the four great witches and wizards: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff. Students begin their schooling at the age of 11 and continue through seven years of rigorous magical training.
hoodlum
a young thug
Hufflepuff
one of the four houses at Hogwarts; founded by Helga Hufflepuff.
hygienic
sanitary
jostle
push or bump
Keeper
a player in the magical sport of Quidditch. The Keeper guards the three rings in order to keep the opposing team from scoring.
kip
a British slang word meaning "sleep"
knickerbocker
breeches (or knickers) that gather below the knee
knickerbocker glory
a large ice cream sundae, similar to a parfait
knobbly
covered with knobs
Knut
Wizarding money made of bronze; there are 29 Knuts to a Sickle
ledger
an account book
limp
lacking stiffness; lacking energy and force
luminous
shining
mangled
disfigured or ruined
marmalade
a type of orange preserve
miniscule
tiny
monkshood
a plant used for magical potions; also known as wolfsbane
muggle
a non-magical person
mystified
bewildered or confused
ornate
heavily decorated or embellished
pasty
a small pie filled with meat, fish, or vegetables
peppermint humbug
a hard, peppermint-flavored candy
pewter
a type of metal alloy, primarily made from tin
phial
a small container or glass; also known as a "vial"
phoenix
a mythical creature who consumes itself in fire and is reborn in the ashes. In "Harry Potter," Dumbledore has a pet phoenix named Fawkes.
pliable
flexible
prefect
a student in his or her fifth year at Hogwarts who is given additional authority by the head of each house
prod
poke
pub
tavern
Quaffle
a ball used to score in the magical sport of Quidditch; the Chaser attempts to throw the Quaffle through the rings on the opposing team's side
Quidditch
a magical sport that is played on broomsticks with seven players on each team (three Chasers, one Keeper, two Beaters, and one Seeker) and four balls (one Quaffle, two Bludgers, and one Golden Snitch). The three Chasers pass the Quaffle and attempt to score in one of the opposing team's six hoops. In the meantime, the Beaters direct the Bludgers to hit members of the opposing team, and the Seeker looks for the Golden Snitch in order to gain an additional 150 points and end the game
Ravenclaw
one of the four houses at Hogwarts; founded by Rowena Ravenclaw
Remembrall
a magical glass ball that turns red when the holder has forgotten something
rickety
unstable or in disrepair
riffraff
the lowest class of society; worthless
rigid
stiff or firm
ruffled
annoyed or irritated
Seeker
a player in the magical sport of Quidditch; the Seeker is responsible for catching the Golden Snitch over the course of the match.
Sickle
Wizarding money made of silver; there are 17 Sickles to a Galleon
Slytherin
one of the four houses at Hogwarts; founded by Salazar Slytherin. In "Harry Potter," many of the malignant characters (such as Voldemort and Draco Malfoy) are members of Slytherin.
Snitch
a small golden ball with wings that is used in the magical sport of Quidditch; also known as the Golden Snitch. When the Seeker catches the Snitch, he or she ends the match and wins an additional 150 points.
spasm
an inadvertent muscle contraction
spindly
tall and thin
sprint
to run at high speed for a short distance
stalactite
a calcium deposit that is shaped like an icicle and hangs down from the top of a cave
stalagmite
a calcium deposit shaped like an inverted icicle that forms on the bottom of a cave
stoat
a type of weasel
tawny
a yellow-brown color
toil
hard work
totter
unstable movement; wobble
transfiguration
the magical art of turning one object into another
transfix
captivate or engross
treacle
molasses
trifle
a British dessert made from layers of sponge cake, custard, and whipped cream
tripe
sheep intestines
tuft
a cluster of hairs
tureen
a large covered bowl for serving soup
turret
a small tower
tyke
a small child, typically a boy
vigorous
energetic
whelk
a pimple or boil; also a type of marine snail
wolfsbane
an herb used for magical potions; also known as monkshood
