List of Definitions for Hard Words in A Rose for Emily
1. Cupolas (plural noun)-A small dome, esp. a small dome on a drum on top of a larger dome, adorning a roof or ceiling.
2. Spires (plural noun)- A tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower.
3. Encroached (verb)- Intruded on (a person's territory or a thing considered to be a right).
4. Obliterated (verb)- Destroyed utterly; wiped out.
5. August (adjective)- Respected and impressive: "she was in august company".
6. Coquettish (adjective)- (of a woman) characteristically flirtatious, especially in a teasing, lighthearted manner.
7. Bemused (adjective)- bewildered or confused
8. Anonymous (adjective)- (of a person) Not identified by name; of unknown name.
9. Obligation (noun)- An act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.
10. Edict (noun)- An official order or proclamation.
11. Remitted (verb)- Cancelled or refrained from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment).
12. Dispensation (noun)- Exemption from a rule or usual requirement.
13. Perpetuity (noun)- A thing that lasts forever or for an indefinite period, in particular.
14. Aldermen (noun)- elected members of a municipal council.
15. Archaic (adjective)- Very old or old-fashioned.
16. Calligraphy (noun)- Decorative handwriting or handwritten lettering.
17. Deputation (noun)- A group of people appointed to undertake a mission or take part in a formal process on behalf of a larger group.
18. Dank (adjective)- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold.
19. Gilt (adjective)- Covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint.
20. Easel (noun)- A self-supporting frame for holding an artist's work while it is being painted or drawn.
21. Ebony (adjective)- Heavy blackish or very dark brown timber from a mainly tropical tree.
22. Obesity (state of being)- a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.
23. Submerged (state of being)-under the surface of a body of water.
24. Pallid (adjective)- (of a person's face) Pale, typically because of poor health.
25. Hue (noun)- A color or shade: "her face lost its golden hue".
26. Vanquished (verb)- Defeated thoroughly
27. Temerity (noun)- Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "no one had the temerity to question his conclusions".
28. Gross (noun)- coarse – rude-unrefined.
29. Teeming (adjective)- Be full of or swarming with.
30. Deprecation (noun)- a prayer to avert or remove some evil or disaster.
31. Slunk (verb)- Come or go unobtrusively or in a sneaky manner.
32. Torso (noun)- The trunk of the human body.
33. Locusts (noun)- A large North American tree producing large slender racemes of white, fragrant flowers.
34. Tableau (noun)- A group of models or motionless figures.
35. Straddled (adjective)- Spread (one's legs) far apart.
36. Silhouette (noun)- The dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background, esp. in dim light.
37. Vindicated (adjective)- Shown or proven to be right, reasonable, or justified.
38. Pauper (noun)- A very poor person.
39. Humanized (adjective)- made to seem more human.
40. Condolence (noun)- An expression of sympathy, esp. on the occasion of a death.
41. Dispose (verb)- To attend to; settle.
42. Vague (adjective)- hazy - indistinct – obscure.
43. Serene (adjective)- Calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil: "serene certainty".
44. Ready (adjective)- In a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared.
45. Rustling (noun)- Make a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper.
46. Craned silk (expression)-rustling of craned silk and satin The reference is to women in high-necked silk and satin dresses, "craning" their necks to spy on Miss Emily and Homer Barron.
47. Jalousies (noun)- Blinds or shutters made of a row of angled slats.
48. Imperviousness (noun)- impenetrability: the quality of being impenetrable (by people or light or missiles etc.).
49. Haughty (adjective)- Arrogantly superior and disdainful: "a look of haughty disdain".
50. Divulge (verb)- Make known (private or sensitive information).
51. Cabal (noun)- A secret political clique; conspiracy.
52. Circumvent (verb)- Find a way around (an obstacle).
53. Thwarted (verb)- Prevent (someone) from accomplishing something: "he never did anything to thwart his father".
54. Virulent (adjective)- (of a disease or poison) Extremely severe or harmful in its effects.
55. Vigorous (adjective)- (of a person) Strong, healthy, and full of energy.
56. Contemporaries (noun)- A person or thing living or existing at the same time as another.
57. Tedious (adjective)- Tiresome by reason of length, slowness, or dullness; boring.
58. Evidently (adverb)- Plainly or obviously; in a way that is clearly seen or understood.
59. Carven (adjective)- carved: made for or formed by carving.
60. Tranquil (adjective)- Free from disturbance; calm: "her tranquil gaze"; "the sea was tranquil".
61. Perverse (adjective)-Contrary to the accepted or expected standard or practice.
62. Sibilant (adjective)- having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the sh in sash.
63. Macabre (adjective)- gruesome - ghastly - lurid - horrible - grisly – terrible.
64. Pervading (adjective)- (esp. of a smell) Spread through and be perceived in every part of.
65. Acrid (adjective)- Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell.
66. Pall (noun)- A gloomy effect or atmosphere.
67. Bridal (noun)- Designed for a bride or a newly married couple.
68. Valance (noun)- a short drapery or wood or metal frame used as a decorative heading to conceal the top edge.
69. Grimace (noun)-a twisted expression on a person’s face, typically expressing disgust, pain, or wry amusement.
70. Cuckolded (verb)- historically referred to a man with an adulterous wife, but has largely fallen out of use. The term generally refers to a sexual fetish in which sexual gratification is gained from maintenance or observation of sexual relations by a woman with a man or a number of men besides her husband.
71. Inextricable (adjective)- Impossible to disentangle or separate.
72. Biding (adjective)- Remain or stay somewhere: "how long must I bide here to wait?".
73. Noblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning "nobility obliges".
The Dictionnaire de l’Académie française defines it thus:
a. Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly.
b. (Figuratively) One must act in a fashion that conforms to one's position, and
with the reputation that one has earned.
The Oxford English Dictionary says that the term "suggests noble ancestry constrains to
honorable behavior; privilege entails to responsibility." Being a noble meant that one had responsibilities to lead, manage and so on. One was not to simply spend one's time in idle pursuits.
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