The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works
Page 429
limitation, allotted time
line, rank, Equator, cord for taking measurements; copulate with
linger, prolong, defer
link, torch, lamp-black
linsey-woolsey, woven material of wool and flax, hence medley, nonsense
linstock, forked stick holding a gunner’s match
list, limit, bound, barriers enclosing tilting ground, desire; to please, choose
lither, yielding
livelihood, liveliness, animation
liver, supposedly the seat of love and strong emotion
lob, bumpkin
lockram, linen cloth
lodge, flatten, beat down
loggats, game of aiming small logs at a fixed stake
long, belong
loose, unattached, negligent; moment of arrow a discharge, last moment
lose, to ruin, forget
lover, friend, mistress
luce, pike as heraldic device
luggage, baggage of an army
lune, fit of temper, of frenzy
lurch, lurk, rob
lure, dummy bird for recalling hawk
lust, pleasure, desire
lustihood, vigour
lusty, merry, lustful, insolent, boisterous
luxurious, lustful, lecherous
luxury, lust
lyam, leash
maculate, stained, impure
maculation, stain, impurity
mainly, with force, greatly, perfectly
majority, pre-eminence
make, mate, husband or wife
making, form, appearance
malapert, saucy
malkin, servant wench, slut
mammer, hesitate
mammock, tear to bits
manège, art of horsemanship
mandrake, poisonous plant believed to shriek when pulled up
mankind, resembling a man, violent, ferocious
manner, stolen goods found on a thief
mansionry, dwelling-place
map, picture, embodiment
mappery, map-making
marches, border country next to Scotland or Wales
marry, (as an exclamation) by (the Virgin) Mary
Mars, god of war and patron of soldiers
mate, rival, checkmate, destroy, stupefy
material, important, forming the substance, full of sense
maugre, in spite of
maund, basket
mazzard, head
maw, gullet, stomach
meacock, coward, weakling
meal, spot, stain
mean, something between or intervening, middle, medium position, tenor, alto; to lament; humble, moderate
measurable, suitable
measure, a stately dance; tune; to measure
mechanic, labourer; practical, manual
mechanical, mean, vulgar; labourer
Medea, escaping with Jason she tore to pieces her brother Absyrtus, scattering his limbs in her father’s path to delay him; restored the youth of Jason’s father, Aeson
medicinable, healing, medicinal
medlar, fruit eaten soft and pulpy; prostitute
meed, reward, gift, merit
meiny, company of retainers, multitude
mell, to meddle
memorize, make memorable
memory, memorial, memento, remembrance
Mercury, messenger of the gods
mere, sure, absolute, unqualified, only
merely, simply, entirely
merit, reward
mess, dish, portion, group originally of four persons eating together, set of four
metaphysical, supernatural
mete, measure, aim
metheglin, spiced mead
methinks, it seems to me
method, table of contents
micher, truant
mickle, great
microcosm, little world, man considered as epitome of the universe
milch, in milk, tearful
mince, to extenuate, moderate, affect
mineral, mine
Minerva, goddess of wisdom
minimus, creature of tiniest size
minion, favourite, darling, harlot, saucy creature
Minotaur, devouring monster dwelling in labyrinth of Crete
mirable, wonderful
mirror, model, pattern
mischief, misfortune, injury, disease
misdread, fear of evil
miser, miserable wretch
misgoverned, unruly
misgovernment, misconduct
misgrafted, badly matched
misprision, contempt, mistake, misunderstanding
misproud, arrogant
missive, messenger
mistake, take, undertake or deliver wrongly, misjudge, blunder, feel misgiving about
misthink, think evil of
mistress, the jack at bowls
mobled, muffled
mockery, imitation, futile action
model, architect’s plan, mould, copy
modern, everyday, commonplace
modest, moderate, satisfactory, becoming
modestly, without exaggeration
modesty, moderation, avoidance of exaggeration
moiety, half, share, small part
moldwarp, mole
mome, blockhead
moment, cause
monster, make a monster of, show as monstrous
monument, sepulchre, effigy, portent
monumental, memorial, commemorating
mood, anger, outward appearance, mode
mooncalf, misshapen creature
moonish, changeable
mop, grimace
mope, move blindly and stupidly, be bewildered
moral, morally fabled
moralize, interpret, explain
mort, note on a horn at the death of the deer
mortified, dead to the world, deadened, destroyed
morifying, mortal
mose in the chine, suffer from glanders (a horse disease)
mot, motto
mother, hysteria
motion, motive, puppet show, puppet; to propose
motive, cause, instigator, instrument, moving limb or organ
mould, earth
mountainish, barbarous
mouse, tear, bite
mouse-hunt, woman-chaser
mow, grimace
mulled, thick, heavy
mummy, dead flesh, medicinal or magical preparation from this
muniments, furnishings
mure, wall
murrain, plague
muse, wonder
muset, gap
muss, scramble
mutine, mutineer; rebel
mutinies, riots, civil disturbances
mutiny, strife, quarrel
mutual, common, intimate
mutually, in return, together
mystery, trade, profession, skill
nails, by God’s nails
naked, unarmed, plain
Naso, family name of the poet Ovid
native, source, origin; natural, kindred, closely related, rightful
natural, that is so by birth, related by blood, kind, tender; half-wit
naturalize, familiarize
naught, wickedness, wicked, ruined, ruin
naughty, bad, wicked, good-for-nothing
nave, nub, navel
neaf, fist
neat, animal of the ox kind, cattle
neb, mouth
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, driven out to eat grass like cattle
needsly, necessarily
neglect, cause of neglect
nephew, cousin, grandson
Neptune, god of the sea
Nereides, sea-nymphs
Nero, Roman emperor, responsible for the assassination of his mother; believed to have played on the lyre and recited while watching the burning of the city set on fire by his orders
nerve, sinew
nervy, sinewy
Nestor, oldest and wisest of the Greeks at the siege of Troy
netherland, underworld, lower world
new-cut, a card game
next, nearest, quickest
nice, wanton, delicate, shy, difficult to please, fastidious, scrupulous, subtle, needing precision, delicately balanced, intricate, exact, skilful, trivial
nicely, elegantly, scrupulously, sophistically, exactly
niceness, coyness, fastidiousness
nicety, coyness
Nicholas, patron saint of scholars; Saint Nicholas’ clerks, highwaymen
nickname, name wrongly
niggard, to act in a miserly way, supply sparingly
night-gown, dressing gown
night-rule, disorder by night
nine-men’s morris, cutting in turf for game played with nine pegs or discs
Niobe, overboastful of her children, who were slain; she was herself turned to stone
nittical, nit-infested
noise, rumour, strife, music, band of musicians; clamour, spread by rumour
noll, head
nonsuit, to refuse to listen to or grant the suit of
nook-shotten, having a very uneven outline
notch, cut with notches, slash
notedly, precisely
nothing, vulva
notion, understanding, mind
nourish, bring up, nurture
novum, dice-game in which chief throws are nine and five
noyance, injury, harm
nuncio, messenger
nursery, nursing, care
nut-hook, beadle, constable
oathable, fit to take an oath
ob., abbreviation of ‘obolus’, halfpenny
objection, charge, accusation
obligation, contract
obliged, pledged
obsequious, dutiful, dutiful in funeral rites
observant, obsequious servant
observe, humour
occasion, opportunity, pretext, cause, course of events
occulted, hidden
occupation, business, handicraft, trade
occupy, have to do with sexually
occurrent, event
oddly, unevenly
oeillade, inviting glance, ogling
o’erblow, blow away
o’ercount, outnumber
o’ercrow, triumph over
o’erdyed, dyed with a second colour
o’ereaten, left after most has been eaten
o’erflourished, decorated on the outside
o’erlook, examine, bewitch, despise
o’ermaster, possess
o’erparted, having too difficult a part
o’er-peer, rise above
o’erpost, get over easily
o’er-raught, overtook
o’er-teemed, worn out by child-bearing
o’er-watch, stay awake too long
o’erwhelm, overhang
o’erwrested, strained
offend, harm, hurt
offer, act on the offensive, venture
office, function, service
offices, parts of a house devoted to household matters
omit, neglect, disregard, lay aside
omittance, postponement
open-arse, medlar (fruit)
operant, effecting, effective
operation, effect, efficacy
opinion, censure, public judgement, self-conceit, self-confidence
opposeless, irresistible
opposite, antagonist, opponent; hostile, adverse
oppress, suppress, distress
oppression, burden, distress
oppugnancy, conflict
orb, circle, sphere, sphere in which a star moves, heavenly body, earth
ordinance, what is ordained, established rule, decree, rank
ordinary, fixed-price tavern meal, ‘ordinary run’
orgulous, proud
orifex, aperture
orison, prayer
ort, fragment, scrap
ostent, appearance, show
ostentation, appearance, show, spectacle
othergates, in another way
otherwhiles, at times
ouch, jewel
ounce, lynx
ouph, elf
ousel, blackbird
outbrave, to surpass in beauty or valour
outlandish, foreign
outlive, survive
outpeer, surpass
outrageous, violent, volatile
outsell, exceed in value
outside, outer garment
outward, outward appearance
overdrip, drip over, overshadow
overhear, hear over again
overhold, overestimate
overlook, overtop, look down on from above, read through
overpeer, rise above, look down on
overscutched, made haggard with beating, worn out
overture, disclosure; formal opening, first indication
Ovid, Roman poet who was sent into exile
owe, own, possess
pace, train (a horse) to pace
pack, gang; conspire, shuffle (cards), to cheat, be off
packing, plotting
paddock, toad
pageant, show, spectacle
pain, trouble, punishment
painful, laborious, toilsome
pale, fence, enclosure; enclose, encircle
palisado, staked fence
pall, fail
palliament, white robe of a candidate for the Roman consulship
palmer, pilgrim
palsy, tremors
palter, equivocate, use trickery
pander, go-between in a love affair, pimp
Pandion, see PHILOMEL
pantaloon, foolish old man
pantler, servant in charge of the pantry
paper, notice specifying offence committed; write down
paragon, compare, excel, show as a model
Parca, one of the three fates who prepared and cut the thread of human life
parcel, part, item, group
parcel-gilt, partly gilded
pard, panther or leopard
pardie, certainly, indeed
Paris ball, tennis ball
paritor, official who summoned offenders to an ecclesiastical court
parlous, perilous, cunning, dreadful, shrewd, clever
part, action, side
partage, freight, cargo
partake, impart, take sides
partaker, confederate, supporter
parted, divided, gifted
partialize, make partial
particular, detail, individual, personal interest, intimacy; private, personal
partisan, footsoldier’s weapon, a long-handled spear with a blade
parts, qualities, accomplishments
pash, head; to strike violently, smash
passado, a forward thrust in fencing
passant, heraldic term of beast stepping; surpassing
passenger, traveller on foot
passing, excessively
passion, suffering, affliction, fit of disease, overpowering emotion, passionate speech, sorrow; feel deep emotion
passionate, express with passion; compassionate, sorrowful
patch, fool
patchery, trickery
paten, thin circular metal plate
patent, title, privilege, authority
patience, permission, leave
patronage, uphold, defend
pattern, precedent, model; to give an example, be a pattern or precedent for
pax, tablet kissed by priest and congregation in celebration of mass
peach, denounce, turn informer
peat, spoilt girl
peck, pitch
peculiar, individual, private, belonging to one person
pedant, schoolmaster
pee
led, tonsured
Pegasus, winged horse
peise, balance, weight, suspend
pelf, property, possessions
pelican, believed to feed its young with its own blood
pelt, rage, scold
pelting, paltry, worthless
pencil, paintbrush
pendulous, impending, suspended
pensioners, royal bodyguard
Penthesilea, Amazon queen
peradventure, by chance, perhaps
perdition, ruin, loss, damnation
perdurable, everlasting
peregrinate, travelled, foreign in style
perfect, fully informed, equipped, ready; accomplish, instruct
perfection, performance, completion
periapt, amulet
period, end, goal, highest point, full pause, full stop; to end
perjure, perjurer; corrupt
perniciously, to destruction
perpend, consider
persistive, steadfast
perspective, optical device for producing fantastic images; picture of figure producing a distorted or unexpected effect
pert, lively
pervert, turn aside
pester, throng, obstruct
pestiferous, pernicious
phantasim, fantastic being
Philomel, Philomela, daughter of Pandion, raped by Tereus (husband of her sister Progne), who cut out her tongue; she wove her story into a tapestry. Progne feasted Tereus on their murdered son; Philomela was changed into a nightingale.
Phoebe, Diana, goddess of the moon
Phoebus, Apollo, god of the sun
phoenix, unique Arabian bird which, dying, is recreated from its own ashes
phraseless, inexpressible
phthisic, consumptive cough
physic dose with medicine
physical, beneficial to health
pia mater, brain
picked, refined, fastidious
Pickt-hatch, London district noted for brothels
pie, magpie
piece, cask of liquor, masterpiece; add to, augment
pied, parti-coloured
pike, spike in centre of buckler
pill, plunder, rob, strip (of bark), make bald
pillicock, penis
pin and web, disease of the eye
pinch, bite, pang; to bite, harass, distress
pismire, ant
pitch, high point of a falcon’s flight
place position, office
placket, petticoat, opening, slit
planched, made of boards
plant, sole of the foot
plantage, plants
plash, pool
plausible, pleasing
plausibly, with applause
plausive, deserving of applause
Plautus, Roman writer of comedy
pleached, formed by intertwined overarched boughs, folded
pleasant, merry, jokey
pleurisy, abundance, excess
plight, pledge
Pluto, ruler of the underworld
Plutus, god of riches