Scarlet Letter Vocabulary

Question 1

Old Manse

Answer 1

A manse is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, United church and other traditions. The Old Manse is a historic manse in Concord, Massachusetts famous for its American historical and literary associations. The Old Manse was built in 1770 for Rev. William Emerson, father of minister Rev. William Emerson and grandfather of transcendentalist writer and lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson. Nathaniel Hawthorne rented the Old Manse for $100 a year. He moved in with his wife, transcendentalist Sophia Peabody, on July 9, 1842, as newlyweds.

Question 2

decorous

Answer 2

in keeping with good taste and propriety; polite and restrained.

Question 3

benumb

Answer 3

deprive of physical or emotional feeling.

Question 4

apprehensive

Answer 4

anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen.

Question 5

prate

Answer 5

talk foolishly or tediously about something.

Question 6

propriety

Answer 6

the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals.

Question 7

prolix

Answer 7

(of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy.

Question 8

Old King Derby

Answer 8

Elias Hasket Derby (1739-1799) was a powerful shipping magnate who dominated Salem’s commercial life during the post-Revolutionary period. Having inherited his father’s fortune and maritime business, Derby rose to become the biggest privateer owner in Salem during the Revolutionary War. In the years that followed, he expanded Richard Derby’s trading empire to the cover the entire globe, becoming the first American to establish trade links with the Baltic and Asia. The nickname ‘King Derby’ comes from the fact that he is known as America’s first millionaire, although there are several other contenders for this title.

Question 9

schooner

Answer 9

a type of sailing vessel with fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts.

Question 10

dilapidated

Answer 10

(of a building or object) in a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect.

Question 11

languid

Answer 11

1. (of a person, manner, or gesture) displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed.
2. weak or faint from illness or fatigue.

Question 12

edifice

Answer 12

a building, especially a large, imposing one.

Question 13

infirmity

Answer 13

physical or mental weakness.

Question 14

truculent

Answer 14

eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.

Question 15

vixen

Answer 15

1. a shrewish ill-tempered woman.
2. a female fox.
3. a sexually attractive woman.

Question 16

imperceptible

Answer 16

impossible to perceive, unnoticeable

Question 17

incommodity

Answer 17

The state or quality of being inconvenient: discomfort, incommodiousness, inconvenience, trouble. 2. Something that causes difficulty, trouble, or lack of ease: discomfort, inconvenience.

Question 18

tarpaulin

Answer 18

heavy-duty waterproof cloth, originally of tarred canvas.

Question 19

venerable

Answer 19

accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.

Question 20

almshouse

Answer 20

a house built originally by a charitable person or organization for poor people to live in.

Question 21

slovenly

Answer 21

untidy, especially in personal appearance.

Question 22

grandeur

Answer 22

splendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style.

Question 23

progenitor

Answer 23

a person or thing from which a person, animal, or plant is descended or originates; an ancestor or parent.

Question 24

conspicuous

Answer 24

standing out so as to be clearly visible.

Question 25

laudable

Answer 25

(of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation.

Question 26

gale

Answer 26

a very strong wind.

Question 27

sagacity / sagacious

Answer 27

(the quality of) having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd.

Question 28

unerring

Answer 28

always right or accurate.

Question 29

infernal

Answer 29

of, relating to, or characteristic of hell or the underworld.

Question 30

visage

Answer 30

a person’s face, with reference to the form or proportions of the features/a person’s facial expression

Question 31

emissary

Answer 31

a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative.

Question 32

sexton

Answer 32

a person who looks after a church and churchyard, sometimes acting as bell-ringer and formerly as a gravedigger.

Question 33

inimical

Answer 33

tending to obstruct or harm/unfriendly and hostile

Question 34

perforce

Answer 34

used to express necessity or inevitability.

Question 35

avail

Answer 35

use or take advantage of (an opportunity or available resource).

Question 36

solace

Answer 36

comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.

Question 37

importunate

Answer 37

persistent, especially to the point of annoyance or intrusion.

Question 38

iniquity

Answer 38

immoral or grossly unfair behavior.

Question 39

perverse

Answer 39

(of a person or their actions) showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences/contrary to the accepted or expected standard or practice.

Question 40

imp

Answer 40

a mischievous child.

Question 41

hillock

Answer 41

a small hill or mound.

Question 42

emaciated

Answer 42

abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or a lack of food.

Question 43

palliate

Answer 43

make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause/allay or moderate (fears or suspicions)/disguise the seriousness or gravity of (an offense)

Question 44

somniferous

Answer 44

tending to induce sleep; soporific.

Question 45

comport

Answer 45

conduct oneself; behave.

Question 46

latent

Answer 46

(of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden; concealed.

Question 47

balk

Answer 47

hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking.

Question 48

gait

Answer 48

a person’s manner of walking.

Question 49

odious

Answer 49

extremely unpleasant; repulsive.

Question 50

antipathy

Answer 50

a deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion.

Question 51

abhorrence

Answer 51

a feeling of repulsion; disgusted loathing.

Question 52

preternatural

Answer 52

beyond what is normal or natural.

Question 53

anstruse

Answer 53

difficult to understand; obscure.

Question 54

efficacious

Answer 54

(typically of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective.

Question 55

veneration

Answer 55

great respect; reverence.

Question 56

pulpit

Answer 56

a raised platform or lectern in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon.

Question 57

avowal

Answer 57

an affirmation of the truth of what you believe, an honest admission/a way of owning up to or declaring something.

Question 58

veriest

Answer 58

used to emphasize the degree to which a description applies to someone or something.

Question 59

somnambulism

Answer 59

sleepwalking.

Question 60

pall

Answer 60

a dark cloud or covering of smoke, dust, or similar matter/a cloth spread over a coffin, hearse, or tomb.

Question 61

zenith

Answer 61

the highest point reached by a celestial or other object.