amalgamation
The combination of two or more things into one.
angina
chest pains
Asphodel
A flower found in Southern Europe; in Greek mythology this flower was sacred to Persephone.
Balalaikas
A Russian instrument similar to a mandolin.
banality
something ordinary, or that lacks originality.
Bezel
The portion of a gem above the setting with the facets revealed , or the slanting surface on the edge of a cutting surface.
biographies romancées
Made up biographies of dashing and famous historical figures.
Boswell
A Scottish lawyer who lived during the 18th century, Boswell is most famous for his two-volume biography of The Life of Samuel Johnson.
cinema
The British word for a movie or movie-theater.
coeval
Having the same duration, beginning date or age as something else.
droshkies
A kind of carriage formerly used in Russia.
Farce
A style of comedy in which so much goes wrong that it becomes obviously unreal.
farrago
A mixture of different things.
flogging
a beating
foolscap
A large size of paper used for writing and painting.
Futurist
Relating to futurism, an early 20th century artistic movement whose practitioners attempted to express the essence of the modern by focusing their artistic endeavors on ideas about technology.
hansom-cab
A kind of vehicle that used to be used in England. It had two-wheels and was drawn by one horse; two passengers could fit inside while the driver sat outside.
hare-lip
A facial deformity also called a cleft palate, which had the appearance of a large gap between the nose and the mouth revealing the gums and nasal cavity.
Ikons
Religious symbols, especially in eastern Christianity (e.g. Russian Christianity).
iniquities
injustices or immoral acts.
interlocutor
: a member of a conversation or discussion.
inveterate
long-standing, a habit, especially a bad one.
Javanese wrist-play
A difficult technique used in the playing of Javanese musical instruments which involves twisting and moving the wrists to change the sound.
latch-key
A special key for lifting a latch outside a door.
lugubrious
Mournful
Mnemogenic
A word invented by Nabokov to mean "the gift of being remembered".
mnemonic
A word-association technique used to improve memory.
monomaniac
someone who is obsessed with a single idea or thought.
Moujiks
A Russian peasant.
neuralgia
Pain surrounding a nerve when there is no change or damage to the nerve itself.
orderly
A senior soldier's personal assistant.
pelmenies
Meat-filled dumplings.
pneumatic
Relating to air-pressure or compressed-gas pressure.
prismatic
Relating to a prism, describing refracted light, or describing something colored like a rainbow.
Royalties
An author's share in the profits of a book, generally in the form of a small percentage of the sale of each book.
Rugby Blue
A Blue is an award earned at Cambridge or Oxford (and other universities) for competing at the highest level of a sport.
sledge
A sled used for transporting loads, pulled by animals.
soused
Drunk
strapontin
A seat which is folded up but can be pulled down when in use; commonly found in English taxis.
Tellurian
Relating to Earth or life on earth; a term often used in science fiction.
the Lethean Library
The collection of forgotten books; a term invented by Nabokov referencing the river Lethe in Hades, whose water was said to make the drinker forget the past.
town-hat
A hat with a wide brim.
treacle
The British word for molasses, it has come to mean something which is excessively sweet or cloying.
