The Black Cat" Vocabulary Definitions

Transcription

1 The Black Cat" Vocabulary Definitions DIRECTIONS: Review the words below (remember these are in context of Poe s writing, not necessarily our definitions today). Try to create your own sentence for words that are not familiar to you; or you haven t seen/heard/recognize. Lines are provided for you at the bottom of the packet. (Review the list only focus on those that you think you need to highlight/keep in mind when we read). **I created this comprehensive list based on the story to HELP you; you don t need to memorize them, they are for reference, and to help you understand the language before we read the story, so that you can enjoy the story overall with exposure to new vocabulary! These are based on words that, as I read the story, I thought would be words of wonder for all of you. I hope this helps ** Allayed: put to rest Anomalous abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual Apparition the appearance of a ghostlike figure Atrocity the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane Baroques dark, corrupt Blissful completely happy and contented Decayed rotted Gore clotted with puss/infection Seduced lured Maltreat to treat cruelly in a bad way Chimeras a horrible or unreal creature of the imagination Clamber climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling Conflagration a very intense and uncontrolled fire

2 Consummate perfect and complete in every respect Glee happiness Descended to go down Debauch a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity Demoniacal devilish, very wicked Docility The quality of being easily taught or controlled Arch-fiend usually the devil/a very strong evil force Vex make someone annoyed/frustrated or worried over things not very important Folly silliness Crafty clever and deceitful in order to get one s way Equivocal doubt; can't decide Evinced displayed clearly; revealed Caress to touch gently Fondness to like someone (or thing) Expedient a means to an end Expound to explain in detail Feeble weak (lacking strength) Remnant small piece or remains Felicity state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy Fiend enemy; ghost

3 Forbore prevented oneself from doing something; refrained from Gallows place where people are hung Eternally - forever Goaded compelled forcibly by an outside agency/instigated Graven cut or impressed into a surface Incumbent lying or leaning on something else Instigate provoke; push; start Inscrutability the quality of being impossible to investigate Intemperate yelling Irrevocable incapable of being changed or called back Macabre grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject Solicit to seek Infamy when someone is famous for something negative (infamous) Debauch/debauchery overly indulging alcohol drinking too much but liking it Abridged shortened version Perversity the state of being evil or gross Deprived to take away from or to be without Indefinite not specific not definite Infancy period of early childhood or babyhood Indulge allow oneself the pleasure of Peculiarity an odd or unusual habit or feature

4 Instrumentality a thing that serves as a means to an end Alteration change something or being changed Dread - fear Neglect not pay attention to or care for something; disregard Mad insane, crazy Malevolent hatred ill-used treat someone badly Sufficient enough Fancy a feeling of liking, usually superficial (just on the surface; not deep down) Fury wild or violent anger Sentiment a mental feeling/emotion Unfathomable cannot be fully understood Bas- relief a sculpture or figure where the figures project slightly from the background Unoffending not causing anger or annoyance Savage fierce, violent, uncontrolled Brute a savagely violent person or animal Mercy forgiving someone who has the power to harm or punish them Resigned accepting something bad that one can t do anything about Succeed achieve what you wanted to/your goal Penknife pocket knife, the blade folds inward Minute (my-noot) extremely small Haunts local bars/pubs one goes to often

5 Habitual done as a habit or constantly Loathsome when something is annoying; hateful Aversion strong dislike; repugnance Partiality bias or favor of one thing or person over another; favoritism Merest smallest/just enough Rigorous extremely accurate/thorough Vast to a great extent or large quantity Incarnate a spirit or ghost shown in a human form/human s behavior Exasperated irritate intensely; infuriate Procure to obtain or get by special effort Render to give or provide Bravado false bravery Malevolence wishing evil to others Odious bad smell Peevish annoyed; irritated Perpetual occurring so frequently as to seem ceaseless or uninterrupted Pertinacity perfect dedication Perverseness deviation from what is considered right or good Projection something that sticks out or is put on Pestilence something annoying

6 Phantasm a ghostly appearing figure Remorse to be sorry Reposing sitting or resting (calmly) Reverberation the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped Sagacious acutely insightful and wise Scruple doubt or uneasiness as to what is right or proper Stout having rugged physical strength Stupefied dumb-founded Succinctly expressed in few words; concise; tense Felicity a high degree of happiness/bliss Disposition a person s qualities of mind and character (who they truly are) Succumbed to give up or give in Arrested stopped (not the association with Police here!) STOPPED Tinctured touched by, a hint of Toiling working hard Tranquilly calmly; peacefully Uncongenial not nice, unpleasant Ungovernable unable to be controlled Unutterable not able to be spoken about Wretched terrible, pitiful

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