poach, to thrust, stab
point, highest point, conclusion, lace with tags (for attaching hose to doublet, etc.), full stop
poking-stick, rod used for pleating ruffs
polecat, prostitute
policy, government, administration, prudence in managing public or private affairs, cunning, craftiness, trick
politic, dealing with government and administration, crafty
politician, schemer, scheming statesman
pomewater, large juicy kind of apple
pomp, procession, pageant
Pontic sea, Black Sea
poop, swamp, overwhelm
poor-john, salted fish
popular, plebeian, vulgar
popularity, common pledge
porridge, porrage, soup
porringer, basin
port, gate, bearing, style of living
portable, bearable, endurable
portage, portholes
portance, behaviour
posied, inscribed with a motto
possess, inform, acquaint
posset, drink of hot milk curdled with ale or wine; curdle, thicken
post, post set up for notices, etc., doorpost on which tavern reckoning was kept, courier, messenger, post-horse; to hasten, carry swiftly
poster, swift traveller
posy, motto inscribed inside a ring
potable, able to be drunk
potato, sweet potato, supposedly aphrodisiac
potency, power, authority
potent, potentate
potential, powerful
potting, tippling
pouncet-box, small box for perfumes
powder, preserve meat with salt or spice
powdering-tub, pickling-tub, sweating-tub used in cure of venereal disease
power, army
pox, syphilis, venereal disease
practice, trickery, conspiracy, plot
practisant, one who carries out a trick
practise, plot, conspire
praemunire, writ for maintaining papal jurisdiction in England
praetor, Roman magistrate
praise, appraise, value
prank, adorn
prate, chatter, prattle
precedent, former; original from which a copy is made, sign
precisian, puritan
precurrer, forerunner
precurse, heralding
predicament, situation
prefer, present, advance, introduce, recommend
preferment, advancement, promotion
pregnancy, quickness of wit
pregnant, clear, fertile, compelling, resourceful, receptive
prejudicate, influence beforehand
prejudice, injury; injure
premise, aforesaid matter
premised, sent before
preparation, accomplishment
preposterous, inverting the natural order of things, monstrous
prerogative, precedence, pre-eminence, prior place
presage, omen, prognostication, foreboding
presence, presence-chamber, company, person
present, immediate, instant; ready money, to show, represent, bring a charge against
presently, immediately
presentment, dedication
press, crowd, crowding, printing-press, cupboard, authority to enlist men compulsorily; to crowd, oppress, force into military service
pressure, impression, character impressed
pretence, expressed aim, intention, pretext
prevent, anticipate, escape, avoid
prick, mark made by pricking, dot, point, spot in centre of target, prickle, penis; to mark by making a dot, etc., pierce, fix, point, spur
pricket, buck in its second year
prick-song, music sung from notes
pride, magnificence, splendid adornment, highest state, mettle, sexual desire
prig, thief
prime, first, chief, sexually excited; springtime
primogenitive, first-born’s right to inherit
principal, superior, abettor, principal rafter
princox, pert youth
Priscian, Roman grammarian
prithee, please
private, private person
privates, sexual organs
prize, contest; to value, esteem
prizer, prize-fighter, wrestler
probal, to, able to bear the probe or examination of
probation, trial, proof
proceeder, one proceeding to a university degree
procurator, proxy
prodigious, ominous, portentous, monstrous, abnormal
proditor, traitor
proface, ‘may it do you good’, formula of welcome before a meal
profited, proficient
progeny, lineage, race
progress, royal journey in state
project, notion, idea; set forth, exhibit
projection, plan
prolixious, prolonged
prolong, postpone
Prometheus, stole fire from heaven and was chained to Mount Caucasus
prone, ready, eager
proof, test, trial, experience, issue, result
propend, incline
proper, (one’s) own, private, peculiar, excellent, handsome
property, identity, particular quality, take possession of, endow with qualities, make a tool of
proportion, portion, division, relative size, proportioning, rhythm
propose, put forward, set before one’s mind, suppose, converse
propriety, identity, proper state
propugnation, defence
prorogue, prolong, postpone
prosecution, pursuit
Proserpina, daughter of Ceres, carried away by Pluto to become queen of hell
prosperous, favourable
Proteus, a sea-god, able to assume different shapes
protractive, consisting in delay
proud, elated, giving cause for pride, lofty, splendid, spirited, swollen, over-luxuriant, sexually excited
prove, try, test, find by experience, experience
publish, make known, proclaim, denounce
pucelle, virgin, maid, slut
puck, pixy, mischievous spirit
pudding, sausage, stuffing
pudency, modesty
puissance, strength, armed force
puissant, strong, powerful
pumpion, pumpkin
punk, prostitute, harlot
punto reverso, back-handed thrust in fencing
puny, novice, person of small account
purblind, quite blind, partially blind
purchase, booty, prize, annual rent from land; to strive, gain, acquire otherwise than by inheritance
purgation, clearing from accusation or suspicion
purlieu, tract of land bordering on a forest
purpose, proposal, conversation
pursuivant, junior attendant on heralds, herald, messenger
pursy, short-winded, fat
purveyor, steward going ahead to make provision
putter on, instigator
puttock, bird of prey, kite, buzzard
quail, prostitute; to fail, faint, overpower
quaint, skilful, clever, dainty, line, beautiful, elaborate
qualification, calm and controlled condition
qualify, moderate, mitigate, appease, control, dilute
quality, accomplishment, rank, profession, party, side, manner, cause
quarry, heap of slaughtered game
quarter, part, watch, relations with and conduct towards another
quat, pimple
quatch, word of unknown meaning
quean, hussy, whore
queasy, hazardous, squeamish
quell, slaughter
quest, jury, inquest, search party
questant, seeker
questionable, inviting question
questrist, seeker
quick, flowing, fresh, impa
tient, living
quiddity, subtlety, equivocation
quietus, clearing of accounts
quintain, object or figure to practise tilting at
quirk, quibble, clever expression, peculiarity of behaviour, fit, start
quit, set free, rid, acquit, acquit oneself of, revenge, repay, requite
quittal, requital
quittance, discharge from debt, requital; requite
quoif, close-fitting cap
quondam, former
quote, give marginal references to, set down in writing, note, observe, regard
quoth, said
quotidian, (of an intermittent fever) returning every day
race, root (of ginger), lineage, breed, natural disposition
rack, driving cloud; to torture, extend, stretch, strain
rage, madness, angry disposition, sexual passion; to enrage
‘raigning arraigning, putting on trial
ramp, loose woman
rampallian, riotous woman
rampire, barricade
rank, growing too luxuriantly, swollen, grown too fat, rebellious, high, full, lustful, in heat, coarse, festering; closely
rankle, cause a festering wound
rankness, overflowing, insolence
rare, splendid
rascal, inferior deer
rate, estimate, value, expense
ravel, become entangled, disentangle
raven, devour greedily
rayed, bespattered, fouled
read, teach, discover the meaning of, expound a riddle
re-answer, compensate for
reason, speech, remark; to talk, discuss, explain
reasonable, needing the use of reason
reave, deprive, take away
rebate, make dull, blunt
rebato, stiff collar
receipt, what is received, receptacle, receiving, capacity, recipe
receiving, understanding, reception
recheat, notes sounded on a horn to call hounds together in stag-hunting
reck, to care (for), mind
reclaim, tame, subdue
recognizance, bond, token
recomfort, console, restore
record, witness, memory; to witness, sing
recordation, memorial, impression on the memory
recourse, access, admission, flowing
recover, reconcile, reach, rescue
recovery, process by which entailed estate was transferred from one party to another
rector, ruler, head
rectorship, rule
recure, restore, heal
reduce, bring, bring back
reechy, smoky, dirty, stinking
reek, smoke, steam
refel, refute
reflect, shine
regiment, authority, rule
region, upper air, air
regreet, greeting, contract
reguerdon, reward
rehearsal, account
rehearse, describe, tell
reins, kidneys
rejoindure, reunion
rejourn, adjourn
relative, able to be related and believed
religion, strict fidelity, religious duty
religious, exact, conscientious, strict
remember, mention, commemorate, remind
remit, pardon, give up
remonstrance, demonstration
remorse, pity, tenderness, moderation, qualification, mitigation
remorseful, compassionate
remotion, departing
removed, remote, secluded, separated by time or space
removedness, absence
remover, one who changes
render, surrender, rendering of an account, statement; to give back, represent, describe as being, declare, state, surrender
rendezvous, refuge, last resort
renege, deny, renounce
renown, make famous
repair, restoring, coming; go, come, return
repairing, able to renew the attack
repasture, food
repeal, recall from exile; recall as from banishment, call back into favour
repetition, recital, mention
repine, vexation
replenished, perfect
replication, reply, echo
reprisal, prize
reprobance, damnation, rejection by God
reprobate, depraved
reproof, disgrace, disproof, refutation
reprove, disprove, refute
repugn, oppose
repugnancy, resistance
repugnant, refractory
rescue, freeing from legal custody by force
resemblance, appearance, likelihood
resist, affect with distaste
resolve, dissolve, answer (a question), solve (a problem), convince, inform
resolvedly, answering all questions
respect, relationship, discrimination, consideration, esteem; to regard, care for, esteem
respective, careful, worthy of being cared for, discriminating
respectively, respectfully
respite, delay, date to which something is postponed, limit
responsive, suited
rest, place to rest, restored strength, resolution, stakes kept in reserve
restrain, draw tight, withhold
resty, restive, sluggish
retention, detention, reserve, power to hold or retain
retentive, confining, restraining
retire, return
retort, to reflect (heat), reject (an appeal)
retreat, recall of pursuing force
retrograde, contrary, seeming to move in a backward course
reverb, resound
revolt, revulsion, change; rebel
revolution, alteration, change produced by time
revolve, consider
rhapsody, confused medley
rheum, mucus from nose or throat, cold in the head, rheumatism
riggish, wanton
rigol, ring, circle
rim, belly, membrane lining the abdomen
ring-carrier, go-between
ringlet, little circle
riot, loose living, debauchery
rivage, shore
rival, partner
rive, split
rivelled, wrinkled
road, riding, period of riding, stage (of journey), roadstead, highway
robustious, boisterous
roguing, roaming
roguish, vagrant
roisting, blustering, bullying
roll, household register
rondure, circle
ropery, knavery
Roscius, famous Roman actor
rote, fix by memory
round, plain, plain-spoken, severe; round dance, roundabout way, rung of a ladder; surround, become round
roundet, round dance
rouse, full draught of liquor, drinking bout
royal, gold coin of the value often shillings (fifty pence)
royalty, prerogative enjoyed, or granted, by the sovereign
roynish, scurvy
rub, in bowls an obstacle hindering or turning aside the bowl, obstacle, hindrance, roughness, unevenness; to turn aside, hinder
rubious, ruby-red
ruddock, robin
rude, ignorant, barbarous, violent, rough
rudeness, violence, roughness
rudesby, rough unmannerly brute
ruffle, bustle; swagger, bear oneself proudly, bluster, be turbulent
rugged, shaggy, frowning
rug-headed, having shaggy hair
ruinous, brought to ruin
rumour, fame, tumult, uproar
runagate, deserter, vagabond
runnion, wretch (a term of abuse)
russet, homely, simple
sable, black
sack, white wine
sackbut, trumpet resembling a trombone
sad, steadfast, grave, serious, dismal
; sadly, gravely, seriously
sadness, seriousness
safe, make safe
safety, custody, safeguard
sain, said
salamander, lizard-like animal supposed to live in fire
sale-work, ready-made goods not of the highest quality
sallet, light helmet, something mixed or savoury
salt, lecherous
salute, touch, affect
sample, example
sanctimony, holiness, sanctity
sanctuarize, give sanctuary to
sand-blind, half-blind
sanguine, red
sans, without
sapient, wise
sarcenct, fine soft silk material
sauce, over-charge, rebuke
saucy, insolent, presumptuous, wanton
savagery, wild growth
savour, smell, perfume, style, character
saw, saying, maxim, proverb
say, finely woven cloth, taste, saying
scab, rascal, scurvy fellow
scald, scabby, mean
scale, weigh
scan, assess
scandalize, disgrace
scantling, specimen, sample
scantly, slightingly
scape, escapade, transgression; escape
scarf, officer’s sash, sling, streamer; blindfold, deck with streamers
scathe, harm; to injure
schedule, document
school, university, instruction, learning; reprimand, discipline
science, knowledge
scion, shoot, slip for grafting
sconce, head, small fort or earthwork
scope, object, aim, purpose, theme, liberty
score, notch cut in stock or tally in keeping accounts, account; to notch
scorn, taunt, insult, object of contempt
scotch, cut, gash
scour, hasten
scrimer, fencer
scrip, small bag, piece of paper with writing on
scrippage, contents of scrip
scripture, writing
scrubbed, stunted
scruple, tiny part, doubt, difficulty
scurril, coarsely abusive
scut, deer’s tail
scutcheon, shield with coat of arms; tablet showing armorial bearings of a dead man
seam, fat, grease
sectary, dissenter, one who pursues a particular study
secure, free from care, confident, unsuspicious; make confident or overconfident
securely, confidently, without suspicion
security, confidence, overconfidence
seed, mature, run to seed
seedness, sowing
seeing, appearance
seel, make blind, close (a person’s eyes)
seely, foolish, innocent, harmless
seen, skilled
seld, seldom
self, one’s own, same
semblable, similar, like, equal
semblative, like, resembling
Seneca, Roman tragic dramatist
sennight, week
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works Page 430
