Vocabulary List for the Canterbury Tales #1

engendering

(v) To bring into existence; to bread, generate, procreate

palmers

pilgrims

shire

An English county.

wend

to travel; to go on one's way

hostelry

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

exposition

an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse

mandates

a command or instruction

trochaic

a metrical measurement of one stressed syllable and one unstressed

anapestic

(of a metric foot) characterized by two short syllables followed by a long one

dactylic

stressed, unstressed, unstressed

iambic

unstressed, stressed

spondaic

stressed, stressed

convivial

festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

erudite

scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

obsequious

Overly submissive and eager to please

chivarly

a code of behavior between feudal knights and nobles

embarked

to begin or set out, as on an adventure

lists

places where knights fought in tournaments

boorish

ill-mannered or rude

fustian

a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap (fustian tunic)

yeoman

man or farmer owning small estate; middle-class farmer

jaunty

having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air

dirk

a small dagger

burnished

made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing

baldrick

a wide (ornamented) belt worn over the right shoulder to support a sword or bugle by the left hip

ostenatious

marked by conspicuous, showy, or pretentious display

heathen

An uncivilized or irreligious person

lugubrious

mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree

sanctimonious

(adj.) making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious, self-righteous, canting, holier-than-thou

proclivity

a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

prioress

mother superior of a nunnery

coy

affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

courtliness

refined behavior; elegance

abbot

the superior of an abbey of monks

cloister

seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister

personable

(of persons) pleasant in appearance and personality

prelate

church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop)

wanton

(adj.) reckless; heartless, unjustifiable; loose in morals; (n.) a spoiled, pampered person; one with low morals

glib

fluent (with insincerity or superficiality); facile; slick

penitents

people looking for forgiveness for their sins

shrift

confession of sins

tippet

hood

hurdy-gurdy

An instrument with MELODY and DRONE strings, bowed by a rotating wheel turned with a crank, with levers worked by a keyboard to change the pitch on the melody string(s).

feign

to pretend

decadence

n. decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence

tilling

cultivation of the land in order to raise crops

subservient

compliant and obedient to authority

hedonistic

pleasure-seeking; indulgent

destitude

adj - extremely poor; utterly lacking

avaricious

greedy

licentious

lacking moral discipline

dissolute

loose in one's morals or behavior

plaintive

expressing sorrow; mournful