Some archaic words

 abroad out of doors

accouchement birthing

advertisement a notice to readers in a book

afeard/afeared frightened

affright frighten (someone)

ague malaria or a similar illness

aliment food; nourishment

ambuscade an ambush

animalcule a microscopic animal

apothecary a person who prepared and sold medicine

appetency a longing or desire

assay attempt

asunder apart

audition the power of hearing

aught anything at all

avaunt go away

bane poison

baseborn of low birth or social standing

bedlam an asylum

behold see or observe

behoof benefit or advantage

beldam an old woman

bethink oneself of remember; recollect

betimes in good time; early

bibliopole a dealer in books

bijoux jewellery; trinkets

billow a large sea wave

blackguard a scoundrel

blow produce flowers or be in flower

bodkin a dagger

bootless (of a task) ineffectual; useless

breech a person's buttocks

bridewell a prison or reform school for petty offenders

brimstone sulphur

bruit a report or rumour

buck a fashionable and daring young man

bumper a generous glass of an alcoholic drink

burgess a full citizen of a town or borough

buss a kiss

caboose a kitchen on a ship's deck

cadet a younger son or daughter

caducity the infirmity of old age; senility

camelopard a giraffe

cannonade bombard

carl a man of low birth

ceil line or plaster the roof of (a building)

champaign open level countryside

chapman a peddler

chicane deceive; hoodwink

circumjacent surrounding

cicisbeo a married woman's male companion or lover

cispontine on the north side of the Thames in London

cleanse restore to health

clerk a literate or scholarly person

clew a ball of thread

clout a piece of cloth or clothing

collogue talk confidentially

commend entrust someone or something to

commons provisions shared in common; rations

communicant a person who imparts information

compass encircle or surround

compeer a companion or close associate

con study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing)

condition social position

conjure implore (someone) to do something

contemn treat or regard with contempt

contumely insolent or insulting language or treatment

cordwainer a shoemaker

corrupt rotten or putrid

corse a corpse

cottier a rural labourer living in a cottage

coxcomb a vain and conceited man; a dandy

coz cousin

crinkum-crankum elaborate decoration or detail

crookback a person with a hunchback

crumpet a person's head

cruse an earthenware pot or jar

cully a friendly form of address for a man

cutpurse a pickpocket

dame an elderly or mature woman

damsel a young unmarried woman

dandiprat a young or insignificant person

darbies handcuffs

dark ignorant

degrade reduce to a lower rank, especially as a punishment

degree social or official rank

delate report (an offence)

demesne a region or domain

demit resign from (an office or position)

demoralize corrupt the morals of

dight clothed or equipped

discover divulge (a secret)

disport frolic

dispraise censure or criticize

divers of varying types; several

doit a very small amount of money

dot a dowry from which only the interest or annual income was available to the husband

doxy a lover or mistress

drab a slovenly woman

drought thirst

egad exclamation of surprise, anger, or affirmation

embarrass hamper or impede

embouchure the mouth of a river

equipage gear; equipment

ere before (in time)

espousal a marriage or engagement

estate a particular state, period, or condition in life

esurient hungry

expectations one's prospects of inheritance

expiry death

fain pleased or willing under the circumstances

fainéant an idle or ineffective person

fair beautiful

fandangle a useless or purely ornamental thing

fane a shrine or temple

fare travel

fell an animal skin; a pelt

feminal feminine; womanly

fervent hot or glowing

fie exclamation used to express disgust or outrage

filibeg a kilt

fishwife a woman who sells fish

fizgig a silly or flirtatious young woman

flux diarrhoea or dysentery

forfend avert or prevent (something evil or unpleasant)

forsooth indeed

fourscore eighty

freak a whim

frore frozen or frosty

froward (of a person) difficult to deal with; contrary

fruit offspring

fudge nonsense

furbish polish (a weapon)

gadzooks an expression of surprise or annoyance

gage a valued object deposited as a guarantee

gallant a dashing gentleman

gammer an old woman

garland a literary anthology

garth a yard or garden

gaud a trinket

gentle noble or courteous

glabriety baldness

glaciate freeze over

glebe a meadow

glim a candle

go-cart a baby walker

God's acre a churchyard

goodly attractive, excellent, or virtuous

goody (with a name) an elderly woman of humble position

grateful received with gratitude

greenwood a forest

grimalkin a cat

gudgeon a credulous person

guerdon a reward

gyve a fetter or shackle

habiliment clothing

halt lame

handmaid a female servant

hearken listen

hence from here

herbary a herb garden

hereat as a result of this

hereunto to this document

hereupon after or as a result of this

hie go quickly

hight named

hither to or toward this place

hoar frost

horse-coper a person who deals in horses

horseless carriage a car

host an army

howbeit nevertheless

husbandman a farmer

immedicable untreatable

imminent overhanging

indite write; compose

inscribe enter the name of (someone) on a list

in sooth actually

intelligence news

intelligencer a person who gathers intelligence

invest surround (a place) in order to besiege or blockade it

iron horse a steam locomotive

izzard the letter Z

jade a bad-tempered or disreputable woman

jakes an outdoor toilet

job turn a public office or a position of trust to private advantage

kickshaw a fancy but insubstantial cooked dish

kine cows collectively

kirtle a woman's gown or a man's tunic

knave a dishonest or unscrupulous man

larcener thief

latchet a narrow thong or lace for fastening a shoe or sandal

laud praise

laver a basin or similar container used for washing oneself

learn teach

leech a doctor or healer

leman a lover or sweetheart

let hinder

levant abscond leaving unpaid debts

Levant the eastern part of the Mediterranean

levy a body of enlisted troops

lief as happily; as gladly

like enough probably

loathly repulsive

lordling a minor lord

love apple a tomato

Lucifer a match

lurdan an idle or incompetent person

lying-in seclusion before and after childbirth

magdalen a reformed prostitute

mage a magician or learned person

magnify glorify; extol

maid a girl or young woman

malapert presumptuous and impudent

malison a curse

man-at-arms a soldier

marry an expression of surprise, indignation, or emphatic assertion

mayhap perhaps; possibly

mazed bewildered

measure a dance

meat food of any kind

mechanical a manual worker

meet suitable or proper

melodist a singer

methinks it seems to me

moil drudgery

mooncalf a foolish person

morrow, the the following day

mummer an actor in the theatre

natheless nevertheless

natural a person born with impaired intelligence

naught nothing

nay no

neat a bovine animal or animals

nice fastidious

nigh near

nithing a contemptible or despicable person

noise (something) about talk about or make known publicly

nubbing- cheat a gallows

numbles a deer's entrails as food

orison a prayer

orts scraps; remains

otherwhere elsewhere

otiose lazy; slothful

overbrim spill; overflow

overleap jump over or across

overset capsize; flip over

pale an area within determined bounds or subject to a particular jurisdiction

palfrey a docile riding horse

pate a person's head

paynim a pagan

peccant sinful; offending

peeler a police officer

pelf money, especially when gained dishonestly

peradventure perhaps

perchance by some chance

peregrinate travel or wander from place to place

periapt a charm or amulet

pest bubonic plague

pestilence a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague

peterman a thief or safecracker

physic medicinal drugs or medical treatment

picaroon a scoundrel

piepowder a traveller or an itinerant merchant or trader

pismire an ant

pistoleer a soldier armed with a pistol

plain over lament; cry over

plight solemnly pledge or promise (faith or loyalty)

pollard an animal that has lost its horns or cast its antlers

poltroon an utter coward

popinjay a parrot

pore on think about

portage the action of carrying or transporting

portion a dowry

portion a person's destiny or lot

posy a short motto or line of verse inscribed inside a ring

potation a beverage

pouncet-box a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

prithee please

profess teach (a subject) as a professor

purblind short-sighted

purfle an ornamental or embroidered edge of a garment

pythoness a woman believed to be possessed by a spirit and to be able to foresee the future

quaggy marshy or boggy

quality high social standing

quean an impudent girl or woman

quick, the the living

quidnunc an inquisitive, gossipy person

quiz look intently at (someone)

quoth said (in I/he/she quoth)

rack (of a cloud) be driven by the wind

raiment clothing

rapscallion a mischievous person

rathe-ripe (of fruit) ripening early in the year; (of a person) precocious

reave carry out a plundering raid

receipt a recipe

recipe a medical prescription

recompense punish or reward appropriately

recreant cowardly

rede advice or counsel

reduce besiege and capture (a town or fortress)

relieve make (something) stand out

remit diminish

repair an abode or haunt

repulsive lacking friendliness or sympathy

riband a ribbon

rover a pirate

rude ignorant and uneducated

ruth a feeling of pity, distress, or grief

sables black mourning clothes

sacring the consecration of a bishop, a sovereign, or the Eucharistic elements

saddle-bow the pommel of a saddle

salamander a red-hot iron or poker

sanative healing

sanguinary involving or causing much bloodshed

sap make (a building, etc.) insecure by removing its foundations

saturnism lead poisoning

scantling a specimen, sample, or small amount

scapegrace a mischievous person; a rascal

scaramouch a boastful but cowardly person

schoolman a teacher

science knowledge

sciolist a person who pretends to be knowledgeable

scold a woman who nags or grumbles constantly

scot a tax-like payment

scrag a neck

scruple a very small amount of something, especially a quality

scullion a menial servant

scurvy worthless or contemptible

sea coal mineral coal

sea smoke fog

seizing a length of cord or rope on board a ship

sennight a week

sepulture burial

shambles a slaughterhouse

shrift forgiveness

shrive (of a priest) absolve (a person making a confession)

silly helpless; defenceless

sippet a small piece of bread or toast for dipping into soup or sauce

skirt an edge, border, or extreme part

slay kill in a violent way

slipshod (of shoes) worn down at the heel

slugabed a lazy person who stays in bed late

small beer weak beer

smite defeat or conquer

soak drink heavily

soft tack bread, especially as rations for sailors or soldiers

soil a stain

sooth truth

sore extremely; severely

speed success; prosperity

spence a pantry or larder

statuary a sculptor

steed a horse

stoup a container for drinking beer, etc.; a flagon

stripe a blow with a lash

strumpet a female prostitute or a promiscuous woman

success a good or bad outcome

suffer endure; tolerate

surety, of/for a for certain

swain a country youth

swash flamboyantly swagger about or wield a sword

sweeting darling

sweetmeat an item of confectionery or sweet food

taiga a forest

tantivy a rapid gallop or ride

tapster a person who serves at a bar

tenter a person in charge of something, especially factory machinery

thenceforth from that time, place, or point onward

thereunto to that

therewith with or in the thing mentioned

thither to or toward that place

thrice three times

tilt with engage in a contest with

timbrel a tambourine or similar instrument

'tis it is

tithe a tenth

tocsin an alarm bell or signal

tope drink to excess

trespass a sin or offence

trig neat and smart

trigon a triangle

troth faith or loyalty when pledged in a solemn undertaking

truck an exchange or transaction

turnkey a jailer

'tween between

tweeny a maid who assisted both the cook and the housemaid

twelvemonth a year

uncle a pawnbroker

uncommon remarkably

unhand release from one's grasp

up to snuff up to the required standard

usher an assistant teacher

vale a farewell; a send-off

varlet an unprincipled rogue

venery hunting

verily truly; certainly

verse a line of poetry

very real; genuine

virtue virginity

visionary existing only in the imagination

wain a wagon or cart

wait on/upon pay a respectful visit to

waits street singers of Christmas carols

ware of aware of

wassail revelry

wast second person singular past of be

watch remain awake as religious observance

watchful wakeful

watchword a military password

weasand the oesophagus or gullet

ween think or suppose; be of the opinion

wench a girl or young woman

whence from what place or source

whereat at which

wherefore for what reason

wherewith with or by which

whilom formerly

white goods domestic linen

whither to what place or state

wife a woman, especially an old or uneducated one

wight a person of a specified kind

wise manner, way, or extent

withal in addition

without outside

wondrous wonderfully

wont accustomed

wonted usual

wool-stapler a dealer in wool

wright a maker or builder

yclept by the name of

ye you

yea yes

yoke the amount of land that one pair of oxen could plough in a day

yonder over there

zounds an expression of surprise or indignation


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