The Cherry Orchard Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

admiral

the commanding officer of a fleet of ships

allez

go (French)

basta

enough (Italian)

billiards

a game that is played on a rectangular-shaped table covered in cloth, where a long stick (a cue) hits small, hard balls

conducive

tending or leading to

dachas

a Russian country villa

economize

to reduce expenses

emancipation

releasing someone from a state of bondage or servitude

financier

a person skilled in complex financial operations

frivolous

silly or trivial

galoshes

heavy, waterproof shoes made of rubber

gherkins

small, prickly cucumbers used for pickling

harness

to control and direct; to attach

heron

a wading bird with a long neck, long legs, a long bill, and a hoarse cry

herring

small, silvery fish (when canned: a sardine)

horsy

horse-like; large, clumsy

illusory

deceptive; unreal

incorrigible

cannot be reformed or improved

intelligentsia

people regarding themselves as the educated or intellectual elite

intelligible

clear, understandable

jackal

a cheat; an accomplice in committing dishonest acts

kopeck

100 kopecks equal 1 ruble (Russian currency)

kvass

a Russian drink distilled from barley or rye

livery

a uniform worn by male servants

lout

a clumsy and stupid person

mandolin

a small, round stringed instrument belonging to the lute family

mitigating

to make less intense or severe

mortgage

a pledge of property to secure a debt to a creditor

muzhik

a male Russian peasant

Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), a German philosopher

nursery

a room set apart for children's use

palpable

tangible; easily perceived

patchouli

a small mint-like shrub used in perfumes

pensively

thinking deeply, usually with a touch of sadness

perpetual

continual; enduring

physiologically

relating to the vital parts and functions of living organisms

premonition

a foreboding

prescribe

to impose rules or advice

promissory note

a promise made in writing to pay a sum of money at a specific time to a specific recipient

ruble or rouble

Russian currency

samovar

a metal urn used to boil tea in Russia

serf

a slave bound to the master's land

starlings

dark, iridescent birds

summons

an order to appear or perform a particular action

vagrant

a wanderer; a nomad

versts

a former Russian unit of length (0.663 mile)

virtuous

chaste; righteous or exhibiting moral excellence

vulgarity

the state of being offensively crude or unrefined