Persuasion

Persuasion Glossary

accost

To approach suddenly (in present-day English, usually aggressively or with sexual intent).

augur

To predict; to portend a good or bad outcome.

awful

Often used in the sense "awe-inspiring."

cavil

To make petty or unnecessary objections.

Cobb

A naturally-formed stone breakwater around the harbor at Lyme.

confinement

The period before giving birth during which a woman stays in bed.

countenance

One's face or facial expression.

crape

Archaic spelling of "crepe." A band of silk worn around one's hat as a sign of mourning; also designates light, silky fabric in general.

curate

A clergyman who assists the vicar, rector, or parish priest.

disapprobation

Strong disapproval, generally on moral grounds.

dowager

A woman with a title or property derived from her late husband.

eclat

Notoriety; conspicuousness; a brilliant display.

enquire

A variant of "inquire," chiefly British.

enure

Variant spelling of "inure." To become accustomed to something, usually unpleasant, as in "she was inured to his insults."

grazier

One who feeds cattle or sheep for market.

liminal

At a transitional stage of a process; at a threshold.

lowness

Depression.

Michaelmas

The feast of St. Michael, on September 29th.

palimpsest

A manuscript (or a piece of writing material, usually a papyrus or a parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing erased but traces still visible. Figuratively, something reused but still containing visible traces of its previous form.

piano

Quiet, as in "he is too piano for me."

prudential

Involving careful forethought and consideration; prudent.

repulsive

Cold in manner, as in "she was not so repulsive."

Scheherezade

The Persian queen who is the storyteller of Arabian Nights, also known commmonly as A Thousand and One Nights. The Persian king married a virgin every night and sent her to be beheaded to next morning. Scheherezade survived by telling him a compelling story every night. By the end of a thousand and one nights, the king had been become wise and made Scheherezade his queen.

tantalize

Torment someone with the sight of something that is unobtainable.

underhung

Having a projecting jaw.

viscountess

The wife or widow of a viscount. A viscount ranked among the English peerage and sat among the House of Lords. For more on ranks and titles, see the "Additional Content" section of this ClassicNote.

want

Often used in the sense "need."