Kate Chopin's Short Stories Glossary

Glossary of Terms

acquiescence

Agreement and acceptance without complaint

antebellum

The period before a war, used most often to describe the decades immediately prior to the United States Civil War, particularly in the South

apostrophe

An address to either a person who is not present or to a personified object

batture

A higher section of a riverbed

bayou

A slow-moving stream of water that travels through marshes or other swampy, low-lying areas

cabriolet

A two-seat carriage with two wheels that is drawn by one horse

corbeille

A basket of objects, often used in French in the context of a wedding present

Creole

A descendant of the original French settlers in the southern United States, particularly in the area surrounding New Orleans

crepe myrtle

A type of flowered shrub often grown in warm climates

damask

Fine linen, often with a distinctive woven pattern

deuce

The devil; "deuced" also means "darned"

gaudy

Tastelessly flashy and overdecorated

grosbec

In English spelled "grosbeak," a type of finch with a large bill

layette

A wardrobe of clothes for a baby

peignoir

A dressing gown for women

percale

A finely woven type of cotton cloth

picayune

A Spanish-American coin of small denomination once used as a form of alternate currency in Louisiana

porte-monnaie

French term for a wallet

portico

A front porch with columns

quadroon

Someone who is one-fourth of black descent