Shakespeare Glossary: A
ABANDONED: banished, kept away from.
ABATE: to lessen, shorten; to blunt; to bar.
ABATEMENT: reduction, diminution.
ABHOR: to horrify, disgust; to protest.
ABIDE: remain, make only a brief stay (Winter’s Tale. 4.2); to face or encounter.
ABILITY: wealth, means.
ABJECT: adj. an object of contempt.
ABJECTLY: basely, horribly.
ABODE: to bode; i.e., an evil omen. (3KH6, 5.6)
ABORTIVE: born prematurely; unnatural.
ABRIDGEMENT: a short play.
ABROAD: apart from one’s own body; away from one’s home.
ABROOK: abide, bear.
ABSEY-BOOK: an ABC book.
ABSOLUTE: positive, certain.
ABUSE: to deceive.
ABY: to atone for.
ACCITED: summoned. (Titus Andronicus, 1.1)
ACHIEVE: to obtain.
ACQUITTANCE (1): a receipt or discharge.
ACQUITTANCE (2): to acquit, clear.
ACTION-TAKING: wanting satisfaction through the law.
ACTURE: action, performance.
ADDITION: title, attribute.
ADDRESS: to prepare oneself.
ADVANCE: to prefer, promote to honour.
ADVICE: consideration, discretion.
ADVISE: sometimes neuter, sometimes reflective, to.
ADVOCATION: pleading, advocacy.
AFFECT: to love.
AFFY: to affiance.
AFRONT: in front.
AGAZED: looking in amazement.
AGLET-BABY: the small figure engraved on a jewel.
AGNIZE: to acknowledge, confess. (Othello, 1.3)
A-GOOD: a good deal, plenteously.
A-HOLD: a sea-term.
AIERIE: the nest of a bird of prey.
AIM: a guess.
ALDERLIEFEST: dearest of all.
ALLAYMENT: abatement; antidote (Cym. 1.5.22).
ALL HID: the game of hide and seek.
ALLIGANT: a corruption of either ‘elegant’ or ‘eloquent’, used in Wiv. 2.2.69.
ALLICHOLLY: a corruption of melancholy.
ALLOW: to approve.
ALMAIN: a German.
ALMS-BASKET: public charity (to live on public charity – LLL 5.1.42).
ALMS-DEED: act of charity.
ALMS-DRINK: remains of drink set aside for the poor.
ALMS-MAN: a person supported by charity.
ALOES: a bitter drug.
ALTER: to exchange.
AMAIN: with force.
AMAZE: to bewilder, confound.
AMBLE: to move around with ease; to move affectedly.
AMES-ACE: two aces, the lowest throw of the dice.
AMERCE: punish by fining.
AMISS: misfortune; disaster.
AMORT: dejected; dispirited.
ANCHOR: an anchorite, hermit.
ANCIENT: an ensign-bearer.
ANGEL: a coin, so called because it bore the image of.
ANIGHT: by night.
ANTHROPOPHAGINIAN: a cannibal.
ANTICK: the fool in the old plays.
ANTRE: a cave.
APPEAL: to accuse.
APPEARED: made apparent.
APPLE-JOHN: a kind of apple.
APPREHENSION: sharp wit.
APPREHENSIVE: quick to understand.
APPROPRIATION: special attribute or excellence.
APPROOF: trial, proof; approbation..
APPROVE: to prove, demonstrate to be true, confirm; to convict; to put to the test; to commend.
APPROVER: one who orders a trial.
AQUA-VITAE: ardent spirits.
AQUILON: the north wind.
ARABIAN BIRD: phoenix.
ARABIAN TREE: the tree of the phoenix.
ARCH: chief, prime, principal.
ARGAL: a corruption of Ergo.
ARGOSY: a vessel of Ragusa in Sicily: hence a ship of large size (Merchant of Venice, 1.1).
ARGUMENT: proof, evidence; subject of debate; subject matter of discourse.
ARMIGERO: a mistake for Armiger, the Latin for Esquire.
AROINT: get thee out of the way.
A-ROW: one after another.
ARRAS: hanging screen of tapestry.
ARREST: to seize; an order or decree.
ARTICULATE: to enter into articles of agreement; to set forth in articles.
ASKANCE: to turn aside.
ASPECT: look, glance.
ASPEN: of the asp tree.
ASPERSION: sprinkling (of dew).
ASPIC: an asp.
ASPIRE: to be ambitious; to rise; to mount up to (obs).
ASSAIL: to address with offers of love.
ASSAY: attempt; to learn by experience; to accost (with words of love); to challenge to a trial of skill.
ASSAY: to attempt, test, make proof of.
ASSINEGO: an ass.
ASSUBJUGATE: to subjugate.
ASSURANCE: deed of assurance.
ASTRAE: goddess of justice.
ATOMY: an atom; tiny being (insect).
ATONE: to reconcile, unite.
ATTACH: to seize, lay hold on.
ATTASKED: taken to task, reprehended.
ATTEND: to listen to.
ATTORNEY: an agent.
ATTORNEY: agent, deputy; advocate or pleader.
AUDACIOUS: spirited, daring.
AUGUR (1): carpenter’s tool for creating holes in wood.
AUGUR (2): a prophet; to prophesy (vb).
AUGURER: religious official among the Romans.
AUNT: old woman; a gossip.
AURICULAR: perceived by the ear.
AUTHENTIC: of authority.
AUSPICIOUS: favourable; spreading happiness.
AVAUNT: order to be gone.
AVE: shout of welcome (Latin for hail).
AVE-MARY: recited in saying the Rosary.
AVOID: get rid of.
AVOUCH: guarantee; an assurance.
AWELESS: fearless; that inspires no awe.
AWFUL: respectful; law-abiding.
AWKWARD: adverse (invented by Shk.), unfavourable; uncouth.