Jane Eyre Glossary

Glossary of Terms

abode

home

acrid

irritating to the senses

acrimonious

bitter in nature

affable

pleasant

aloof

reserved or indifferent

analogous

similar

animadversion

strong disapproval

antipathy

strong dislike or aversion

aperture

a small opening, i.e. crack or hole

artifice

trickery

ascendancy

domination or control

aspirant

an individual who hopes

assiduous

diligent and attentive

austere

severe or serious

aversion

a strong feeling of dislike

azure

light blue

bane

a source of ruin

becalmed

to make motionless through lack of wind

benignant

kind

bilious

irritable

billow

to swell or rise

bleak

dreary and desolate

bleared

blurry

brackish

salty

burgh

an incorporated town with some degree of independence

calico

a cotton fabric with a printed pattern

canzonette

a song for voice and accompaniment

captious

difficult to please

caviller

an individual who makes unnecessary and irritating objections

celerity

speed

censure

a strong statement of disapproval

cessation

stopping

charnel

a room in which dead bodies and bones are deposited

chiding

scolding

chintz

a printed cotton fabric

choler

anger

civility

politeness

coax

to persuade sweetly

congeal

to solidify

consecration

blessing given by a sacred office

conspicuous

easily noticed

consternation

amazement or fear that causes confusion

consumption

a nineteenth-century term for tuberculosis

conveyance

the act of transporting; also, communication

convolvuli

any plant belonging to the Morning Glory family, characterized by twining plants and trumpet-shaped flowers

cordiality

friendliness

cormorant

a type of seabird

corporeal

bodily

covet

to desire wrongfully

croquant

a cake made from crisp pastry

cumbrous

unwieldy or bulky

damask

a lustrous fabric with satin patterns

dexterous

skillful

diablerie

witchcraft

diffidence

shyness

dispense

to deal out

disposition

personality

docile

mild or gentle

dreg

a small amount

ecclesiastical

relating to the church

effigy

an image or likeness

effluence

an outward flow

effluvia

a vapor, often an unpleasant one

enigma

mystery

equipage

a carriage drawn by horses

etiolated

to drain of color or life

evince

to display

execration

the act of cursing

exigency

urgency

fagging

exhausting

fastidious

very particular or demanding

ferret out

to discover

fervid

fiery

fervour

warmth of feeling

festoon

a decorative garland

fetid

foul-smelling

flaxen

a pale, yellow color, i.e. corresponding to the color of flax

flog

to beat

forlorn

unhappy or depressed

fury

a violent woman

gaunt

bony

girdle

a sash worn at the waist

gradation

a process that goes through a series of degrees or stages

gregarious

outgoing

hamlet

a small town

hardy

sturdy

hebdomadal

occurring every seven days

heterogeneous

varied

hiatus

a break or pause

holland

a cotton cloth with an opaque finish

homily

a sermon

humble

lowly or inferior

ignominious

humiliating

imbibe

to consume or absorb

imperious

masterful

impromptu

not rehearsed

impudent

disrespectful

incredulous

unbelieving

indefatigable

untiring

indemnity

protection against damage

indigence

poverty

inestimable

priceless

inferiority

lower in status or position

influx

flowing in

ingenuous

innocent or naive

insuperable

impossible to overcome

interlocutrice

a female individual who takes part in a conversation

irate

angry

ire

wrath

irid

iris of the eye

irksome

annoying

judicious

sensible

lamentable

regrettable

licence

British spelling of the term "license

limpid

clear

lineaments

a feature of the face or body

lurid

hideous

manifestation

demonstration

mediatrix

a woman who mediates between two groups

mercenary

an individual who acts solely for money or reward

meridian

the highest point or culmination

merino

wool from a particular breed of sheep

mien

manner or presence

moreen

a heavy wool or cotton fabric

mullioned

a vertical division between a window or door

muslin

a cotton fabric, often printed or embroidered

mutiny

an uprising against authority

noxious

dangerous

obtrusive

pushy

obviate

avoid or ward off

opaque

unclear or concealed

opprobrious

shameful

orthodox

traditional

ostensible

superficial

paltry

very small

pelisse

a woman's long cloak

penality

an act involving punishment

pendent

hanging

penurious

cheap

peremptory

imperious or commanding in tone

perfidy

disloyalty or treachery

peruse

to study carefully

pervious

open to argument or reason

pettish

disagreeable

petulant

grouchy

physiognomy

the face or outward appearance

piety

reverence for God

pinafore

a child's apron

piquant

lively

poltroon

coward

prattle

chatter

precocious

unusually mature in development or intelligence

presentiment

foreboding

preternatural

abnormal

privation

a state of hardship or need

promontory

a bluff or peak

pungent

biting or sharp to the senses

quaint

picturesque

rancid

rotten

redolent

fragrant

redundant

unnecessary repetition

repast

meal

repletion

fullness from food or drink

resurgam

a Latin term meaning, "I shall rise again"

retaliation

an act of revenge or repayment

reverberation

an echo

ribaldry

characterized by crudeness or vulgarity

rigor

severity

rill

a small brook

ruddy

having a healthy red color

ruth

pity

salient

prominent or eye-catching

sallow

a sickly yellow complexion

salubrious

healthful

sanguine

optimistic or cheerful

scapegoat

an individual blamed for the actions of another

scrutinize

to examine closely

sentient

conscious or aware of the senses

sequester

to separate or move into seclusion

shrubbery

a group of bushes or shrubs

skein

a coil of yarn or thread

slatternly

untidy

solace

comfort

sombre

dark and depressing

soporific

characterized by sleepiness

spar

to dispute or argue

sprightly

lively

stagnation

to become idle and unchanging

sublunary

characterized by the earth; also, mundane

supplication

plea

surtout

a woman's hood

sweetmeats

any type of candied delicacy, often made with fruit and nuts

tabernacle

a place of worship

tenacious

stubborn

thwart

to defeat or frustrate

timorous

fearful

torpid

dull or sluggish

torpor

inactivity or laziness

totter

stagger

transient

temporary

truculent

hostile

tucker

a piece of linen or muslin worn around a woman's shoulders

tumult

a noisy outbreak or disturbance

turbulent

stormy

typhus fever

an infectious disease characterized by a headache and red spots on the skin

uncongenial

unpleasant

unimpeachable

faultless

usury

lending money with an excessive rate of interest

vermilion

bright red

visage

face

zealous

dedicated