A Storm of Swords: Chapters 41–54

by George R.R. Martin
The battle for control of the kingdom of Westeros continues in the third volume of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 12, Chapters 13–26, Chapters 27–40, Chapters 41–54, Chapters 55–68, Chapter 69–Epilogue

Here are links to our lists for other volumes in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Dance with Dragons
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    Brandon's Gift had been farmed for thousands of years, but as the Watch dwindled there were fewer hands to plow the fields, tend the bees, and plant the orchards, so the wild had reclaimed many a field and hall.
  2. valor
    courage when facing danger
    I don't doubt that you're all very brave, but when it comes to battle, discipline beats valor every time.
  3. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
    Jon was coming to know them despite himself: gaunt, quiet Errok and gregarious Grigg the Goat, the boys Quort and Bodger, Hempen Dan the ropemaker.
  4. stalwart
    having rugged physical strength
    We fight beside the stalwart men of Yunkai.
    Dany counters the captain's use of the word "stalwart" with this point: "You fight beside bed-boys armed with spears." "Stalwart" also means "dependable" and "a person loyal to their allegiance"--these definitions might describe the slave soldiers of Yunkai and what Dany is looking for in an army, but her purpose in meeting with the Stormcrows is to convince the sellsword company to betray their contract with the Yunkai to fight for her.
  5. geld
    cut off the testicles (of male animals such as horses)
    "If you bring the Second Sons over to my side, I might not have you gelded."
  6. conciliation
    the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity
    "I pride myself on my knowledge of the savage senseless west." Grazdan spread his hands, a gesture of conciliation. "And yet, why should we speak thus harshly to one another?
  7. singe
    burn superficially or lightly
    Do all the Yunkai'i whine so over a singed tokar?
  8. accoutre
    provide with military equipment
    Lord Bolton had accoutred him as a knight, preferring to ignore the missing hand that made such warlike garb a travesty.
  9. redoubtable
    inspiring fear
    Tywin Lannister's own father Lord Tytos had once imprisoned an unruly bannerman, Lord Tarbeck. The redoubtable Lady Tarbeck responded by capturing three Lannisters, including young Stafford, whose sister was betrothed to cousin Tywin.
    "Redoubtable" also means "worthy of respect or honor"--both definitions fit, since the adjective is describing a highborn lady who is not afraid to threaten her enemy with bodily harm in order to secure the safe return of her husband.
  10. inter
    place in a grave or tomb
    Had Ned ever reached Winterfell, to be interred beside his brother Brandon in the dark crypts beneath the castle?
  11. dismal
    causing dejection
    His efforts at fishing the lakes and half-frozen streams had been dismal failures as well.
    "Dismal" comes from two Latin words: "dies" which means "day" and "malus" which means "evil"--although there is nothing evil about the failure to fish half-frozen streams, if Sam sinks into depression, he would be less able to save himself, Gilly, and the baby from the evils they'll encounter between Craster's Keep and the Wall.
  12. strife
    bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
    The Mother gives the gift of life, and watches over every wife.
    Her gentle smile ends all strife, and she loves her little children.
  13. char
    burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    Only ember and ashes remained, but still...he could not breathe, or think...Sam wrenched himself sideways, pulling Paul with him...his arms flailed against the dirt floor, groping, reaching, scattering the ashes, until at last they found something hot...a chunk of charred wood, smouldering red and orange within the black...his fingers closed around it, and he smashed it into Paul's mouth, so hard he felt teeth shatter.
    Compare with "singe" in this list--although the verbs are nearly synonymous, as the example sentences suggest, 1) singeing is more superficial, since it often involves only the ends of an object, as in the edge of a silk tokar; 2) charring happens over a longer period of time, as seen in the comparison between a brief spit of flames from a young dragon that was quickly doused and a fire that had been allowed to blaze for hours until the wood had been reduced to embers.
  14. eerie
    suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
    All around him the wights flailed at the black wings and sharp beaks that assailed them, falling in an eerie silence with never a grunt nor cry.
  15. truss
    secure with or as if with ropes
    We can ride double, or I can throw you across the back of the horse trussed up like a sow for slaughter.
  16. amiable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
    The Old Pomegranate was amiable, and a diligent First Steward, but he was woefully ill-suited to face a wildling host.
    Compare with the antonymous "aloof" in the list for Chapters 13-26. Neither quality would make for a good commander of an army. But the Old Pomegranate is available and willing to fight with whatever resources he has, while Lysa is far away on her mountaintop and unwilling to commit her resources to help her nephew fight.
  17. flay
    strip the skin off
    "Bolton's son killed all the ironmen, and it's said he's flaying Theon Greyjoy inch by inch for what he did."
  18. turbulent
    agitated vigorously
    Across the turbulent waters, Catelyn could see several thousand men encamped around the eastern castle, their banners hanging like so many drowned cats from the lances outside their tents.
    Compare with the antonymous "unperturbed" in the list for Chapters 13-26. Both adjectives connect to the Latin noun "turba" which means "confusion, crowd" but as the chosen definitions and example sentences suggest, "unperturbed" usually applies to the emotional state of a person while "turbulent" can also apply to the physical state of a river or to the larger state of a kingdom at war.
  19. distinguish
    mark as different
    The rain made it impossible to distinguish colors and devices.
  20. foist
    force onto another
    "Why would the old weasel refuse to let me choose unless he meant to foist off someone hideous?"
  21. concession
    a point that is yielded
    Hold him, I say, and demand concessions from the ironborn as the price of his execution.
  22. quarrel
    an arrow that is shot from a crossbow
    Robb gave Edwyn an angry look and moved to block his way...and staggered suddenly as a quarrel sprouted from his side, just beneath the shoulder.
  23. bludgeon
    strike with a club
    The Smalljon bludgeoned Ser Raymund Frey across the face with a leg of mutton.
  24. assail
    attack someone physically or emotionally
    A foul stench assailed her nose, but she paid it no more mind than she did the sullen ceaseless pounding of that drum, boom doom boom doom boom doom.
    Compare with "beset" in the list for Chapters 27-40. Both are verbs about attack. Although the descriptions surrounding the words focus on an attacking wound and smell, both example sentences hint at larger conflicts in which the characters have been beset or assailed by weapon-wielding warriors.
  25. sally
    witty remark
    His father ignored the sally.
    As a father, Lord Tywin can afford to ignore Tyrion's sally ("Oh? Is this something I'm allowed to know, or should I leave so you can discuss it with yourself?"), but as a general, he could not ignore a sally from his enemy ("sally" also means "a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position").
  26. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
    His brother is a cautious man, a reasoned man, subtle, deliberate, even indolent to a degree.
  27. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
    He knows nothing. He has heard tales. Stable gossip and kitchen calumnies. He has no crumb of proof.
  28. fornication
    sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other
    This boy is the foul fruit of their fornications.
  29. merlon
    a solid section between two crenels in a battlement
    In place of merlons, a thousand grotesques and gargoyles looked down on him, each different from all the others--wyverns, griffins, demons, manticores, minotaurs, basilisks, hellhounds, cockatrices, and a thousand queerer creatures sprouted from the castle's battlements as if they'd grown there.
  30. temper
    bring to a desired consistency by heating and cooling
    Davos was remembering a tale Salladhor Saan had told him, of how Azor Ahai tempered Lightbringer by thrusting it through the heart of the wife he loved.
Created on Sat Jan 11 21:55:14 EST 2014 (updated Mon Oct 01 17:02:48 EDT 2018)

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