by Thomas More
GLOSSARY
Words and phrases are glossed in the form in which they first appear in the text
a matter of the same seriousness
abate diminish
abide wait for
above stairs upstairs
abroad outside the home; out wide
abstracts summaries
abusing committing sodomy
accident catastrophe
admiring marvelling, wondering
advanced helped on
adventures unexpected events
advisement deliberation, consideration
advoutry adultery
affected impressed by; valued, desired
affection favouritism
affectioned attached
affiance confidence
afore in front of
aforehand in credit
aglets pendants, ornaments
alliance kindred
alliant akin, similar
allured drawn towards
amendment improvement
apace quickly
apostle missionary
apostolical connected with, relating to, the apostles
appaired impaired
apparel clothing
appertain belong
appertaineth be suitable for, proper to; belong to, be relevant to
applied to be consistent with
appointed laid out
approve prove, show
archdolts extreme idiots
arefaction action of drying
artificers skilled craftsmen
artificially skilfully constructed (as opposed to natural)
asp aspen
assaying attempting
assentation sycophantic agreement
assisteth is present
astonied deprived of sensation
at all adventures any old how, higgledy piggeldy
at the least way at least
attemper temper
avaled brought down, degraded
avaleth lowers
avaunt glory in, be proud of
aventures random events, chance
avoided left
avoutrers adulterers
balm-wood balsam wood (aromatic)
bands bonds, fetters
bare bore
basilisks large cannon
bastons truncheons
bawds pimps or panders (male before seventeenth century)
beams radiations
because that so that, in order that
because so that
beck signal
becometh suits
before in front
behated thoroughly hated
bend themselves apply themselves
bewrayed betrayed
blown (of heat) blown by bellows
bodies material substances
bondage enslavement
bondmen slaves, bonded labour
borderers neighbours, neighbouring countries
boscage woods, thickets
bottoms ships
bound transfixed
bounden indebted
brabbling arguments, contention
brazen brass
breed breeding
broiding braiding, plaiting
brook make use of, possess
brunt exertion; attack, onslaught
bryde up bring up, raise
bulls papal directives
by the purse with a fine
by course in turn
cambric fine white linen
came about turned around
capias writ enforcing arrest
carbuncles precious stones
careful troublesome; full of care, unhappy
cark trouble
cast gave off; arranged
cataracts waterfalls over precipices
cautel prevarication, device
cavillation quibble
cedar of Libanus cedar of Lebanon
cells cubicles
certes certainly
chaffare traffic, trade
chambers rooms
chamolet exotic and costly fabric made of Angora goat hair. Water chamolet had a wavy or watery surface
chases hunting grounds, unenclosed park land
children people
chirugery surgery
chouse cheat, swindler
chylus chyle
circuits tours
circumstance circumlocution
circumventions getting around something
civil applicable to real life, practical
clarifications purifications of liquids
cleped called (already archaic in More’s time)
clerks scholars
cloth of gold cloth embroidered with gold thread
coagulations the thickening of liquids by methods such as evaporation and condensation
collier maker or transporter of coal
colour (false) reasoning; disguise
commendations recommendations, references
commissioners members of negotiating team, ambassadors
commodious beneficial; serviceable; easy
commodity convenience; comfort
common public
commonalty commonwealth
compassed encompassed, surrounded
compassionated granted out of, expressive of compassion
complexions bodily characteristics, humours
compositions components of metal
compounded settled
conceits skilfully cooked dishes; opinions, ideas
conclave secret location
conclusions results
condition quality
conduction direction, command
conform akin
confused astounded, overcome
consults consultations
contained prevented
continued stayed
contumely scornful rudeness
conversation interaction
corrupting rotting, going bad
countenance face, facial expression
countervail outprice, out-value
courages dispositions
covin deceit, treachery
crack boast
creatures creations
crosier a kind of staff, surmounted with a cross
curious finely wrought, elaborate
curtesies bowing of the body or head
damned condemned
danger power
dangerous reticent
dead lift lifting a dead weight; the pull of a horse at something beyond his power to move
debatement discussion
decocted concentrated by boiling
defray you pay for you
degrees steps; success, ability
demonstrations experiments
denominate of named after
denounced declared
depredators plunderers, pillagers
descended condescended
descried revealed
designed destined, directed
despite (at) contempt (for)
determination agreement about
dicers gamblers
direction instruction
disannulled abolished
discover uncover, disclose, reveal
discrepant different
dishonesty dishonour
dispensatories chemists, dispensaries
displayed outspread
displeasantly disagreeably
dispose place
disprove disapprove
dissident from at variance from
dissimulation pretending not to be the person that you are
dissolute houses brothels
divers different, several
diversities varieties
divinations forecasts; warnings
dizzards fools, jokers, blockheads
dors drones, idlers
dorture dormitory
doubtful hesitant
downstroke swordstroke made with the edge of the sword
<
br /> dress prepare
drivel menial, drudge
earnest pressing
effeminated made feminine, emasculated
eftsoons soon after
either each
else by contrast, on the other hand
embraid upbraid
emollition softening
end aim
endeavour myself apply myself
engines machines
ensign badge of office
ensure assure
entered initiated
entire unbroken, intact
entoil entrap, ensnare
entreat treat; plead
espial spy
estate state, condition
esteem estimate the worth of, judge
ever always
evil willing unwilling
except unless
excogitated thought through, discovered
exemptions freedom from taxes or duties
exhilaration enlivening; raising
existimation estimation
experiences experiments
exploded expulsed, driven out
expulsed expelled
extenuate thin out
factor mercantile agent
fallacies refutations, disproofs
fantasy fancy, desire
fardel bundle, collection
fashion manner
fast securely
favour face, appearance
fear frighten; dissuade, put off
fearful frightening
feat knack
fells skins
flags bladed leaves
flight-shot flight-distance of an arrow
floods currents, waters
foin swordstroke made with point of the weapon towards one’s enemy
for that because
forasmuch as inasmuch as
forby close by
fords shallows
fore castle fo’c’sle
fore-end front-end
forefeeling presentiment
foreseen provided
formerly previously
fossils objects dug from the soil, organic or inorganic
fraught laden, stocked up with
fray dissuade, put off
furnished equipped, stocked
gage deposit, security
gallant showy, fashionable
gallimaufry mish-mash, a thing of mixed genres
gather up recoup
gear things, doings, attire
generation production; ancestry
gilt painted gold
girt belted, girdled
glasses lenses
glebeland piece of cultivated land, field
go about turn around
goodman master of a household
goodwife mistress of a household
grains impurities
gramercy free, gratis
graved engraved, printed
greater more comprehensive
greatness high rank
grieved bored
gross fundamental
gudgeon small fish; a credulous person
guestwise as a visitor
guise habits, customs
gyves shackles
half-pace step or platform upon which something like a throne or altar is erected
handicrafts manual or skilled labour
handsome handy
handy manual, unskilled
hanged decorated with wall-hangings
hap happens
hapt dressed, attired
hardiness boldness, daring
harmless without being harmed
haunt habitation
haut high, lofty
head spring point where a river originates
helps remedies; hearing-aids
herborough shelter, lodging
Hierusalem Jerusalem
holden possessed, affected; detained
homely plainly, without refinement
honesty honour
huke cloak with a hood
husband cultivate, take care of
husbandry cultivation, agriculture, domestic economy
imbasing debasing
imbossed embossed
imported suggested
importune troublesome, pressing, persistent; inopportune
impressions atmospheric phenomena or pressures
impudency impudence
in aunters in case
in hazard at stake
in special especially
in fine in the end
inclinations bending forwards, bowing
incommodity inconvenience, damage
incontinent forthwith, straight away; wanting in restraint
indifferent moderately, moderate; impartial
indued endowed
induration hardening
indurations the hardening of solids
infamed disgraced
infidelity lack of Christian faith
infusion soaking something in water to infuse its qualities into the liquid
inoculating budding, grafting
insolation exposure to the sun’s rays
instruct educated, taught
instruments contracts, legal documents
intentively earnestly, intently
intercourse trade, dealings
inured experienced in, used to
inventions ideas, proposals
invited attracted
javel rascal, worthless fellow
jeopardy danger
jet strut, swagger
juggling conjuring, trickery
junkets sweet dish of curds and cream
jus right, law
just equal
keep no measure fix no limits
kenning about 20–1 miles: as far as the eye can see, especially at sea
kindly naturally
knowledge acknowledge
lading cargo
lanthorn lantern, light
last duration
laud praise
leaded framed
leagues treaties
let hindrance (noun); hinder (verb)
letted hindered, impaired
letters writing
lewd ignorant, untaught
licence permission
licensed freed
lightly casually
like the same
line equinoctial the equator
lines distances
living livelihood
lodestone magnet
looked expected
lot lottery
louting cringing
lubber dolt
lust wish to
lusty full of life
madder a plant yielding a valuable red dye
made away disposed of
manfully bravely, honourably
masculine love homosexuality
mattock tool like an adze or pick
maturations the act of bringing to ripeness
maws inward parts
mean season meantime
mean medium, small
meaner vulgar, of lower class
meats foods
meretricious embracements embraces of a prostitute
merrily in jest
mess a serving of food
meteors any meteorological phenomena
mislike displease
Montera helmet-like cap
mortified made tender by hanging or keeping
motions causes
moved made
moveth to attempts
mulct to punish with a fine
multiplications intensifications
murrain plague, especially of animals
namely especially; by name
naughtiness wickedness, depravity
needeth is necessary
newfangledness new fashions, fads
next immediately
niggish miserly, niggardly
nigh closely related to, near
nitre saltpetre
noisome
disgusting, unpleasant
noyous troublesome, vexatious
observation usage
occupieth takes up; interacts; trades; uses
of place of high rank, of authority
offered to expressed an intention to, made as if to
open public
open explain
ordinances decrees
ordnance military materials, artillery
orisons prayers
other others
out of comparison beyond compare
out of fashion unrefined, out of shape, rough
outlands outlying islands, foreign countries
over upper
overblown put to rest
overplus surplus
overrunned trampled down, crushed, ravaged
overthwart across
pale boundary, limit
parcel portion, part
pardy by God!, verily, certainly
parting dividing
pass us surpass us
pass care
patrimony inheritance
patterns models, blueprints, instructions
pennyfathers misers
physic medicine, art of healing
pick a thank slavish fawning
pieces guns
piles pointed stakes or posts
pilled shaved, stripped
pioners miners
pistolets Spanish, Venetian, or Florentine coins
pitied was merciful to, compassionated
planted settled
plat plot, device
platform ground plan
platted plotted
plot location, plot of land
plush rich cloth, of silk, cotton, or wool
policy stratagem, trick; political acumen
poll cut short, lop off
pontifical episcopal
portion dowry, financial gain
postern back
practices of experiments with
practique practice, way of arranging matters
precepts principles
prefer promote
preparations instruments
prescript prescribed, set down
presently immediately
preservative prophylactic
pretenced intended
pretty quite substantial
prevent anticipate our wants
pricked tormented
pristinate original
privy secret, private
probable just, defensible; credible
proof result, harvest
propriety ownership; property; quality
provide prepare
puissance might
pullen poultry
purgings evacuations of the bowels
quailed withered, faded
qualify invest with qualities, to make fit for
quarter-sounds quarter-tones
queans hussies
quoits a game played with discs or hoops
rampire fix, establish firmly
rank foul
ravin robbery, plunder, gluttony
re-edify rebuild, re-establish
