Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Glossary

Glossary of Terms

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