Victorian Era Vocab

troth

a solemn pledge of fidelity

orb

an object with a spherical shape

cloven

divided; split

subserve

be helpful or useful

scarp

a long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge

redress

act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil

strife

bitter conflict

slander

words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another

blanch

turn pale, as if in fear

turbid

(of especially liquids) clouded as with sediment

posthumous

occurring or coming into existence after a person's death

doleful

filled with or evoking sadness

furtive

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

perspicuous

(of language) transparently clear

remonstrate

argue in protest or opposition

omen

a sign of something about to happen

aspersion

an abusive attack on a person's character or good name

parasol

a handheld collapsible source of shade

affliction

a cause of great suffering and distress

defer

hold back to a later time

shaver

a young person of either sex

encumbrance

any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome

provisionally

temporarily and conditionally

guinea

a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings

convulsion

a violent disturbance

expostulate

reason with (somebody) for the purpose of dissuasion

suppositions

assumptions; things one thinks are true w/o evidence

rueful

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

festoon

an embellishment consisting of a decorative representation of a string of flowers suspended between two points

sentient

endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness

inveterate

firmly established, long-standing; habitual

bane

something causing misery or death, something causes misery or death

injunction

a formal command or admonition

stoical

seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain

poppet

a doll

trebly

threefold; triple

oracular

prophetic; uttered as if with divine authority; mysterious or ambiguous

impetus

the act of applying force suddenly

exultation

a feeling of extreme joy

akimbo

with hands on hips and elbows extending outward

petrify

cause to become stone-like or stiff or dazed and stunned

peremptory

putting an end to all debate or action

vindictive

showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt

remonstrance

the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest

vicarious

suffered or done by one person as a substitute for another

poultice

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.

mealy

dry and powdery

physiognomy

the art of judging human character by facial features

capricious

determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

inextricable

incapable of being solved or untangled