Collection 1: The Tempest

As you read William Shakespeare's "The Tempest," learn this word list for the play. Here are links to lists for texts in Grade 11's Collection 1: Of Plymouth Plantation, Coming of Age in the Dawnland, The Tempest, Balboa, 'Blaxicans' and Other Reinvented Americans
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. boatswain
    a petty officer on a merchant ship
  2. bestir
    become active
  3. tend
    have care of or look after
  4. councillor
    a member of a council
  5. command
    make someone do something
  6. mischance
    an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate
  7. gallows
    an instrument from which a person is executed by hanging
  8. advantage
    benefit resulting from some event or action
  9. pox
    a contagious disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pock marks
  10. warrant
    stand behind the quality, accuracy, or condition of
  11. wench
    a young woman
  12. merely
    and nothing more
  13. gape
    be wide open
  14. heath
    a low evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae
  15. furze
    very spiny and dense evergreen shrub with fragrant golden-yellow flowers; common throughout western Europe
  16. fain
    in a willing manner
  17. art
    a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice
  18. pitch
    a dark heavy viscid substance obtained as a residue
  19. welkin
    the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
  20. brave
    brightly colored and showy
  21. amazement
    the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
  22. piteous
    deserving or inciting a feeling of sympathy and sorrow
  23. naught
    a quantity of no importance
  24. cell
    small room in which a monk or nun lives
  25. meddle
    intrude in other people's affairs or business
  26. direful
    causing fear or dread or terror
  27. spectacle
    something or someone seen, especially a notable sight
  28. virtue
    any admirable quality or attribute
  29. provision
    the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do
  30. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
  31. betide
    become of; happen to
  32. bootless
    unproductive of success
  33. inquisition
    a severe interrogation
  34. assurance
    a statement intended to inspire confidence
  35. backward
    in or to or toward a past time
  36. abysm
    a bottomless gulf or pit
  37. aught
    a quantity of no importance
  38. issue
    the immediate descendants of a person or animal
  39. hither
    to this place
  40. perfidious
    tending to betray
  41. signor
    used as an Italian courtesy title
  42. prime
    first in rank or degree
  43. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
  44. suit
    a petition made to a person of superior status or rank
  45. overtop
    look down on
  46. verdure
    green foliage
  47. closeness
    characterized by a lack of openness
  48. beget
    have children
  49. bound
    the line indicating the limit or extent of something
  50. temporal
    of this earth or world
  51. ignoble
    dishonorable in character or purpose
  52. hearken
    listen; used mostly in the imperative
  53. minister
    a diplomat representing one government to another
  54. hint
    an indication of potential opportunity
  55. impertinent
    not relevant to the matter under consideration
  56. wherefore
    the cause or intention underlying an action or situation
  57. deck
    decorate
  58. profit
    derive a benefit from
  59. zenith
    the highest point of something
  60. omit
    leave undone or leave out
  61. dullness
    lack of sensibility
  62. quality
    an essential and distinguishing attribute of something
  63. desperation
    a state in which all hope is lost or absent
  64. nigh
    near in time or place or relationship
  65. sustain
    be the physical support of
  66. troop
    an orderly crowd
  67. vexed
    troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
  68. bate
    moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
  69. litter
    give birth to a group of animals
  70. penetrate
    make one's way deeper into or through
  71. correspondent
    a journalist who supplies stories for news media
  72. quaint
    strange in an interesting or pleasing way
  73. dam
    female parent of an animal especially domestic livestock
  74. fen
    low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation
  75. urchin
    a poor and often mischievous city child
  76. vast
    unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope
  77. charm
    a verbal formula believed to have magical force
  78. sty
    a pen for swine
  79. capable
    having the temperament or inclination for
  80. plague
    any epidemic disease with a high death rate
  81. vassal
    a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
  82. strain
    a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
  83. passion
    a strong feeling or emotion
  84. knell
    the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death
  85. ditty
    a short simple song
  86. mortal
    a human being
  87. advance
    increase or raise
  88. gallant
    a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
  89. canker
    an ulcerlike sore
  90. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
  91. maid
    an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
  92. ebb
    a gradual decline in size or strength or power
  93. twain
    two items of the same kind
  94. control
    direct (others or oneself) or influence skillfully
  95. rash
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
  96. gentle
    characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy
  97. ward
    watch over or shield from danger or harm; protect
  98. surety
    one who provides a warrant or guarantee to another
  99. unwonted
    out of the ordinary
  100. beyond
    farther along in space or time or degree
  101. just
    indicating exactness or preciseness
  102. porridge
    soft food made by boiling meal or legumes in water or milk
  103. entertain
    maintain, as a theory, thought, or feeling
  104. dolor
    (poetry) painful grief
  105. spare
    use frugally or carefully
  106. temperance
    the trait of avoiding excesses
  107. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
  108. tawny
    having the color of tanned leather
  109. rarity
    a rarified quality
  110. vouch
    give personal assurance; guarantee
  111. miraculous
    having the character of an amazing or wonderful occurrence
  112. kernel
    the inner and usually edible part of a seed, grain, or nut
  113. rate
    estimate the value of
  114. surge
    a large sea wave
  115. lusty
    endowed with or exhibiting great bodily or mental health
  116. importune
    beg persistently and urgently
  117. plaster
    a medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc.
  118. contrary
    exact opposition
  119. traffic
    buying and selling, especially illicit trade
  120. bourn
    an archaic term for a boundary
  121. tilth
    arable land worked by plowing and sowing and raising crops
  122. sensible
    able to feel or perceive
  123. mettle
    the courage to carry on
  124. sphere
    the surface on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
  125. consent
    permission to do something
  126. distinctly
    in a distinct and distinguishable manner
  127. heed
    pay close attention to
  128. treble
    having or denoting a high range
  129. sloth
    a disinclination to work or exert yourself
  130. cherish
    be fond of
  131. invest
    give qualities or abilities to
  132. throe
    severe spasm of pain
  133. persuade
    cause somebody to adopt a certain position or belief
  134. discharge
    complete or carry out
  135. cubit
    an ancient unit of length based on the length of the forearm
  136. prate
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  137. suggestion
    a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection
  138. ghastly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
  139. repose
    freedom from activity
  140. verily
    in truth; certainly
Created on Sun Jun 29 21:51:16 EDT 2014 (updated Wed Jul 02 09:33:27 EDT 2014)

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