Sir Walter Scott

The mental organization of the novelist must be characterized, to speak craniologically, by an extraordinary development of the passion for delitescency.

Deliver

An uninstructed bowler . . . thinks to attain the jack by delivering his bowl straightforward upon it.

Denizen

Denizens of their own free, independent state.

deprecate

His purpose was deprecated by all round him, and he was with difficulty induced to adandon it.

Dereliction

A total dereliction of military duties.

Deuteroscopy

I felt by anticipation the horrors of the Highland seers, whom their gift of deuteroscopy compels to witness things unmeet for mortal eye.

Devil

Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.

Difference

So completely differenced by their separate and individual characters that we at once acknowledge them as distinct persons.

Din

He knew the battle's din afar.

Dine

A table massive enough to have dined Johnnie Armstrong and his merry men.

Dint

It was by dint of passing strength That he moved the massy stone at length.

Discountenance

The hermit was somewhat discountenanced by this observation.

Disembarrass

To disembarrass himself of his companion.

Disembody

Devils embodied and disembodied.

Disorganization

The magazine of a pawnbroker in such total disorganization, that the owner can never lay his hands upon any one article at the moment he has occasion for it.

Dispense

He is delighted to dispense a share of it to all the company.

Dispone

He has disponed . . . the whole estate.

Disquiet

As quiet as these disquieted times will permit.

Disrepair

The fortifications were ancient and in disrepair.

Disrepute

At the beginning of the eighteenth century astrology fell into general disrepute.

Distemperature

Sprinkled a little patience on the heat of his distemperature.

Dizzy

If the jangling of thy bells had not dizzied thy understanding.

Dogged

The sulky spite of a temper naturally dogged.

Dogmatism

The self-importance of his demeanor, and the dogmatism of his conversation.

Dominie

This was Abel Sampson, commonly called, from occupation as a pedagogue, Dominie Sampson.

Douce

And this is a douce, honest man.

Downright

A man of plain, downright character.

Draught

The Parliament so often draughted and drained.

draw

He hastened to draw the stranger into a private room.

Drift

Now thou knowest my drift.

Drop

The connection had been dropped many years.

Dumple

He was a little man, dumpled up together.

Dunny

My old dame Joan is something dunny, and will scarce know how to manage.

Easy

He is too tyrannical to be an easy monarch.

Edge

Pursue even to the very edge of destruction.

The full edge of our indignation.

Edgeways

Glad to get in a word, as they say, edgeways.

Embayment

The embayment which is terminated by the land of North Berwick.

Embody

Devils embodied and disembodied.

Embolden

The self-conceit which emboldened him to undertake this dangerous office.

Emboss

Exhibiting flowers in their natural color embossed upon a purple ground.

Endlong

To thrust the raft endlong across the moat.

Endurance

Slurring with an evasive answer the question concerning the endurance of his own possession.

Engrain

The stain hath become engrained by time.

Faint

The saint, Who propped the Virgin in her faint.

Fanfare

The fanfare announcing the arrival of the various Christian princes.

Fashioner

The fashioner had accomplished his task, and the dresses were brought home.

Feather

A few birches and oaks still feathered the narrow ravines.

Fiar

I am fiar of the lands; she a life renter.

File

File your tongue to a little more courtesy.

Fish

Any other fishing question.

Flight-shot

Half a flight-shot from the king's oak.

Flinders

The tough ash spear, so stout and true, Into a thousand flinders flew.

Foray

He might foray our lands.

Forayer

They might not choose the lowland road, For the Merse forayers were abroad.

Ford

He swam the Esk river where ford there was none.

Fortify

Pride came to the aid of fancy, and both combined to fortify his resolution.

Fray

We can show the marks he made When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed.

Freebooting

Your freebooting acquaintance.

Frenzied

Up starting with a frenzied look.

Frippery

The gauzy frippery of a French translation.

Frolicsome

Old England, who takes a frolicsome brain fever once every two or three years, for the benefit of her doctors.

Frost

It was of those moments of intense feeling when the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow wreath.

Fume

While her mother did fret, and her father did fume.

Gambadoes

His thin legs tenanted a pair of gambadoes fastened at the side with rusty clasps.

Gate

I was going to be an honest man; but the devil has this very day flung first a lawyer, and then a woman, in my gate.

Gestic

Carried away by the enthusiasm of the gestic art.

Giglot

The giglet is willful, and is running upon her fate.

Glamour

It had much of glamour might To make a lady seem a knight.

Gnostic

I said you were a gnostic fellow.

Go

To master the foul flend there goeth some complement knowledge of theology.

By Saint George, he's gone! That spear wound hath our master sped.

Goggle

The long, sallow vissage, the goggle eyes.

Gorget

Unfix the gorget's iron clasp.

Gramashes

Strong gramashes, or leggings of thick gray cloth.

Gray

Woe worth the chase, woe worth the day. That coats thy life, my gallant gray.

Green

I might be angry with the officious zeal which supposes that its green conceptions can instruct my gray hairs.

Grieve

Their children were horsewhipped by the grieve.

Grizzled

Grizzled hair flowing in elf locks.

groan

He heard the groaning of the oak.

Gynocracy

The aforesaid state has repeatedly changed from absolute despotism to republicanism, not forgetting the intermediate stages of oligarchy, limited monarchy, and even gynocracy; for I myself remember Alsatia governed for nearly nine months by an old fishwoman.

Hardness

The habit of authority also had given his manners some peremptory hardness.

Harebell

E'en the light harebell raised its head.

Haugh

On a haugh or level plain, near to a royal borough.

Have

I had the church accurately described to me.

High-toned

In whose high-toned impartial mind Degrees of mortal rank and state Seem objects of indifferent weight.

Hollow

He has hollowed the hounds.

Housekeeping

Tell me, softly and hastily, what's in the pantry? Small housekeeping enough, said Phœbe.

Housewifely

A good sort of woman, ladylike and housewifely.

Howl

Wild howled the wind.

Hustle

Leaving the king, who had hustled along the floor with his dress worfully arrayed.

Implement

Revenge . . . executed and implemented by the hand of Vanbeest Brown.

Incognito

His incognito was endangered.

Indemnity

Having first obtained a promise of indemnity for the riot they had committed.

Indifferent

The staterooms are in indifferent order.

Induct

The independent orator inducting himself without further ceremony into the pulpit.

Indue

The baron had indued a pair of jack boots.

Innocent

In Scotland a natural fool was called an innocent.

Install

She installed her guest hospitably by the fireside.

Instance

Undertook at her instance to restore them.

Invent

He had invented some circumstances, and put the worst possible construction on others.

Jack

Like an uninstructed bowler who thinks to attain the jack by delivering his bowl straight forward upon it.

Jackman

Christie . . . the laird's chief jackman.

Jape

I have not been putting a jape upon you.

Jollification

We have had a jollification or so together.

Knobbler

He has hallooed the hounds upon a velvet-headed knobbler.

Knoll

On knoll or hillock rears his crest, Lonely and huge, the giant oak.

Knot

As they sat together in small, separate knots, they discussed doctrinal and metaphysical points of belief.

Know

The monk he instantly knew to be the prior.

Kythe

It kythes bright . . . because all is dark around it.

Labor

To cure the disorder under which he labored.

Largess

The heralds finished their proclamation with their usual cry of “Largesse, largesse, gallant knights!” and gold and silver pieces were showered on them from the galleries.

Ligation

Tied with tape, and sealed at each fold and ligation.

Lightly

They come lightly by the malt, and need not spare it.

Limb

That little limb of the devil has cheated the gallows.

Limmer

Thieves, limmers, and broken men of the Highlands.

List

I will list you for my soldier.

Litherly

He [the dwarf] was waspish, arch, and litherly.

Loose

The loose morality which he had learned.

Lorn

If thou readest, thou art lorn.

Lovelock

A long lovelock and long hair he wore.

Magnum

They passed the magnum to one another freely.

Malison

God's malison on his head who this gainsays.

Mantle

Though mantled in her cheek the blood.

Matriculate

In discovering and matriculating the arms of commissaries from North America.

Maund

He was ever maundering by the how that he met a party of scarlet devils.

Meum

Ancestors . . . generally esteemed more renowned for ancient family and high courage than for accurately regarding the trifling distinction of meum and tuum.

Mine

Too lazy to cut down these immense trees, the spoilers . . . had mined them, and placed a quantity of gunpowder in the cavity.

Mistress

Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening.

Moody

Arouse thee from thy moody dream!

Morion

A battered morion on his brow.

Mort

The sportsman then sounded a treble mort.

Net

And now I am here, netted and in the toils.

Neutralize

So here I am neutralized again.

Noteless

Noteless as the race from which he sprung.

Omen

The yet unknown verdict, of which, however, all omened the tragical contents.

Only

He might have seemed some secretary or clerk . . . only that his low, flat, unadorned cap . . . indicated that he belonged to the city.

Order

The venerable order of the Knights Templars.

Ordinary

Water buckets, wagons, cart wheels, plow socks, and other ordinaries.

Out-Herod

Out-Heroding the preposterous fashions of the times.

Outrun

Your zeal outruns my wishes.

Overgrow

The green . . . is rough and overgrown.

Parsonage

What have I been paying stipend and teind, parsonage and vicarage, for?

partial

Not partial to an ostentatious display.

Pasty

A large pasty baked in a pewter platter.

Paternity

The paternity of these novels was . . . disputed.

Pathway

We tread the pathway arm in arm.

Patrician

Born in the patrician file of society.

Peculium

A slight peculium only subtracted to supply his snuff box and tobacco pouch.

Penitential

Guilt that all the penitential fires of hereafter can not cleanse.

Pillowed

Pillowedon buckler cold and hard.

Pinfold

A parish pinfold begirt by its high hedge.

Platter

The attendants . . . speedly brought in several large, smoking platters, filled with huge pieces of beef.

Play

Thou canst play the rational if thou wilt.

Plight

Before its setting hour, divide The bridegroom from the plighted bride.

Plowgate

Not having one plowgate of land.

Poignant

His wit . . . became more lively and poignant.

Pottle

A dry pottle of sack before him.

Pretty

[He] observed they were pretty men, meaning not handsome.

Prick

Let the soldiers for duty be carefully pricked off.

Pricker

The prickers, who rode foremost, . . . halted.

Prison

The prisoned eagle dies for rage.

Prolusion

Her presence was in some measure a restraint on the worthy divine, whose prolusion lasted.

Proportion

Formed in the best proportions of her sex.

Prosecution

Keeping a sharp eye on her domestics . . . in prosecution of their various duties.

Pshaw

The goodman used regularly to frown and pshaw wherever this topic was touched upon.

Push

The rider pushed on at a rapid pace.

Put

Put me not use the carnal weapon in my own defense.

Pyet

Here cometh the worthy prelate as pert as a pyet.

Quarrel

Two arblasts, . . . with windlaces and quarrels.

Quarry

The wily quarry shunned the shock.

Quaternion

The triads and quaternions with which he loaded his sentences.

Raid

Marauding chief! his sole delight The moonlight raid, the morning fight.

Random

O, many a shaft, at random sent, Finds mark the archer little meant!

Rarely

The person who played so rarely on the flageolet.

Ready

Gurth, whose temper was ready, though surly.

Ream

A huge pewter measuring pot which, in the language of the hostess, reamed with excellent claret.

Recusant

It stated him to have placed his son in the household of the Countess of Derby, a recusant papist.

Refluent

And refluent through the pass of fear The battle's tide was poured.

Relieve

Her tall figure relieved against the blue sky; seemed almost of supernatural height.

Reluctance

He had some reluctance to obey the summons.

Reminiscence

I forgive your want of reminiscence, since it is long since I saw you.

Remorseful

The full tide of remorseful passion had abated.

Rendezvous

An inn, the free rendezvous of all travelers.

Resolutioner

He was sequestrated afterwards as a Resolutioner.

Resume

Perhaps God will resume the blessing he has bestowed ere he attains the age of manhood.

Resuscitation

The subject of resuscitation by his sorceries.

Retardation

Hills, sloughs, and other terrestrial retardations.

Reveille

For at dawning to assail ye Here no bugles sound reveille.

Reverse

He did so with the reverse of the lance.

She reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of Bray.

Ride

Tue only men that safe can ride Mine errands on the Scottish side.

Risibility

A strong and obvious disposition to risibility.

Risible

I hope you find nothing risible in my complaisance.

Rivet

Thus his confidence was riveted and confirmed.

Rock

Come one, come all! this rock shall fly From its firm base as soon as I.

Rote

extracting mistuned dirges from their harps, crowds, and rotes.

Rough

Sleeping rough on the trenches, and dying stubbornly in their boats.

Round

The invitations were sent round accordingly.

Roundly

Two of the outlaws walked roundly forward.

Rueful

Two rueful figures, with long black cloaks.

Ruffle

Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery.

Run

But these, having been untrimmed for many years, had run up into great bushes, or rather dwarf trees.

You run your head into the lion's mouth.

Rusticity

The Saxons were refined from their rusticity.

Sainthood

It was supposed he felt no call to any expedition that might endanger the reign of the military sainthood.

Sally

The unaffected mirth with which she enjoyed his sallies.

Saltation

Continued his saltation without pause.

Saraband

She has brought us the newest saraband from the court of Queen Mab.

Say

That strange palmer's boding say, That fell so ominous and drear Full on the object of his fear.

Scald

A war song such as was of yore chanted on the field of battle by the scalds of the yet heathen Saxons.

Scandalize

The congregation looked on in silence, the better class scandalized, and the lower orders, some laughing, others backing the soldier or the minister, as their fancy dictated.

To tell his tale might be interpreted into scandalizing the order.

Scathless

He, too, . . . is to be dismissed scathless.

Scaturient

A pen so scaturient and unretentive.

Scheme

A blue silk case, from which was drawn a scheme of nativity.

Scintillate

As the electrical globe only scintillates when rubbed against its cushion.

Scot-free

Do as much for this purpose, and thou shalt pass scot-free.

Scrambling

A huge old scrambling bedroom.

Screed

The old carl gae them a screed of doctrine; ye might have heard him a mile down the wind.

Scurrile

A scurrile or obscene jest will better advance you at the court of Charles than your father's ancient name.

Scuttle

With the first dawn of day, old Janet was scuttling about the house to wake the baron.

Seamy

Everything has its fair, as well as its seamy, side.

Security

His trembling hand had lost the ease, Which marks security to please.

Send

God send your mission may bring back peace.

Sendal

Wore she not a veil of twisted sendal embroidered with silver?

Shaveling

I am no longer a shaveling than while my frock is on my back.

Shift

Here the Baillie shifted and fidgeted about in his seat.

Shimmer

TWo silver lamps, fed with perfumed oil, diffused . . . a trembling twilight-seeming shimmer through the quiet apartment.

Shock

I shall never forget the force with which he shocked De Vipont.

His red shock peruke . . . was laid aside.

Shoulder

The north western shoulder of the mountain.

Sidle

He . . . then sidled close to the astonished girl.

Sign

I signed to Browne to make his retreat.

Significator

In this diagram there was one significator which pressed remarkably upon our astrologer's attention.

Sinister

He read in their looks . . . sinister intentions directed particularly toward himself.

Sit

Sits the wind in that quarter?

Skill

It skills not talking of it.

Slashed

A gray jerkin, with scarlet and slashed sleeves.

Slender

A slender degree of patience will enable him to enjoy both the humor and the pathos.

Slight

His own figure, which was formerly so slight.

sliver

They 'll sliver thee like a turnip.

Slot

As a bloodhound follows the slot of a hurt deer.

Sluttish

An air of liberal, though sluttish, plenty, indicated the wealthy farmer.

Smack

Drinking off the cup, and smacking his lips with an air of ineffable relish.

Smirk

The bride, all smirk and blush, had just entered.

Snap

MacMorian snapped his fingers repeatedly.

Snivel

Put stop to thy sniveling ditty.

Snood

And seldom was a snood amid Such wild, luxuriant ringlets hid.

Soak

The rivulet beneath soaked its way obscurely through wreaths of snow.

Solecism

The idea of having committed the slightest solecism in politeness was agony to him.

Somehow

Although youngest of the familly, he has somehow or other got the entire management of all the others.

Soothfast

Why do not you . . . bear leal and soothfast evidence in her behalf, as ye may with a clear conscience!

Sore

I see plainly where his sore lies.

Sorry

Good fruit will sometimes grow on a sorry tree.

Sort

I can not tell you precisely how they sorted.

Sortilege

A woman infamous for sortileges and witcheries.

Speak

Report speaks you a bonny monk.

Spence

In . . . his spence, or “pantry” were hung the carcasses of a sheep or ewe, and two cows lately slaughtered.

Sprig

A sprig whom I remember, with a whey-face and a satchel, not so many years ago.

Springlet

But yet from out the little hill Oozes the slender springlet still.

Springy

Though her little frame was slight, it was firm and springy.

Square

He bolted his food down his capacious throat in squares of three inches.

Squirt

The hard-featured miscreant coolly rolled his tobacco in his cheek, and squirted the juice into the fire grate.

Stagnate

Ready-witted tenderness . . . never stagnates in vain lamentations while there is any room for hope.

Stalk

As for shooting a man from behind a wall, it is cruelly like to stalking a deer.

Stand

Thou seest how it stands with me, and that I may not tarry.

Staple

For the increase of trade and the encouragement of the worthy burgesses of Woodstock, her majesty was minded to erect the town into a staple for wool.

Stark

A stark, moss-trooping Scot.

Starry

Do not Christians and Heathens, Jews and Gentiles, poets and philosophers, unite in allowing the starry influence?

Stay

He has devoured a whole loaf of bread and butter, and it has not staid his stomach for a minute.

Stick

It was a shame . . . to stick him under the other gentleman's arm while he was redding the fray.

Stint

The damsel stinted in her song.

Stormy

Stormy chiefs of a desert but extensive domain.

Stricken

He persevered for a stricken hour in such a torrent of unnecessary tattle.

Strike

Three hogsheads of ale of the first strike.

Stumble

He stumbled up the dark avenue.

Surveillance

That sort of surveillance of which . . . the young have accused the old.

Sweep

The road which makes a small sweep.

Swell

You swell at the tartan, as the bull is said to do at scarlet.

Taglioni

He ought certainly to exchange his taglioni, or comfortable greatcoat, for a cuirass of steel.

Tail

“Ah,” said he, “if you saw but the chief with his tail on.”

Tarry

He plodded on, . . . tarrying no further question.

Tartan

MacCullummore's heart will be as cold as death can make it, when it does not warm to the tartan.

Teem

His mind teeming with schemes of future deceit to cover former villainy.

Temptress

She was my temptress, the foul provoker.

Tenable

I would be the last man in the world to give up his cause when it was tenable.

That

The ship that somebody was sailing in.

Thoroughpaced

If she be a thoroughplaced impostor.

Thrall

Gurth, the born thrall of Cedric.

Tinchel

We'll quell the savage mountaineer, As their tinchel cows the game!

Topknot

A great, stout servant girl, with cheeks as red as her topknot.

Touch

A person is the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet.

My mind and senses keep touch and time.

Towering

A man agitated by a towering passion.

Tracker

And of the trackers of the deer Scarce half the lessening pack was near.

Tragi-comic

Julian felt toward him that tragi-comic sensation which makes us pity the object which excites it not the less that we are somewhat inclined to laugh amid our sympathy.

Transmew

To transmew thyself from a holy hermit into a sinful forester.

Traverse

I can not but . . . admit the force of this reasoning, which I yet hope to traverse.

Tressured

The tressured fleur-de-lis he claims To wreathe his shield.

Trim

Seeing him just pass the window in his woodland trim.

Trip

His heart bounded as he sometimes could hear the trip of a light female step glide to or from the door.

Troll

Troll the brown bowl.

True

Making his eye, foot, and hand keep true time.

Twinkle

The western sky twinkled with stars.

Umbrage

Persons who feel most umbrage from the overshadowing aristocracy.

Uncertain

O woman! in our hours of ease, Uncertain, coy, and hard to please!

Undergown

An undergown and kirtle of pale sea-green silk.

Underhand

Baillie Macwheeble provided Janet, underhand, with meal for their maintenance.

Underlie

The knight of Ivanhoe . . . underlies the challenge of Brian der Bois Guilbert.

Undo

She took the spindle, and undoing the thread gradually, measured it.

Uneasy

The road will be uneasy to find.

Unfriended

If Richard indeed does come back, it must be alone, unfollowed, unfriended.

Unfriendship

An act of unfriendship to my sovereign person.

Ungraceful

The other oak remaining a blackened and ungraceful trunk.

Unhouseled

To die like the houseless dog on yonder common, unshriven and unhouseled.

Unmantle

Nay, she said, but I will unmantle you.

Unroofed

Broken carriages, dead horses, unroofed cottages, all indicated the movements.

Unseal

Unable to unseal his lips beyond the width of a quarter of an inch.

Upset

After a solemn pause, Mr. Glossin offered the upset price for the lands and barony of Ellangowan.

Usquebaugh

The Scottish returns being vested in grouse, white hares, pickled salmon, and usquebaugh.

Vair

No vair or ermine decked his garment.

Vanish

The champions vanished from their posts with the speed of lightning.

Vault

The shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley.

Venerate

I do not know a man more to be venerated for uprightness of heart and loftiness of genius.

Vicinage

Civil war had broken up all the usual ties of vicinage and good neighborhood.

Virulent

A contagious disorder rendered more virulent by uncleanness.

Vision

For them no visioned terrors daunt, Their nights no fancied specters haunt.

Vista

The shattered tower which now forms a vista from his window.

vivers

I 'll join you at three, if the vivers can tarry so long.

Vocalic

The Gaelic language being uncommonly vocalic.

Voluptuary

A good-humored, but hard-hearted, voluptuary.

Wakening

They were too much ashamed to bring any wakening of the process against Janet.

Waste

His heart became appalled as he gazed forward into the waste darkness of futurity.

Wastel

The simnel bread and wastel cakes, which were only used at the tables of the highest nobility.

Waul

The helpless infant, coming wauling and crying into the world.

Waur

Murder and waur than murder.

Waver

Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities.

Waylay

She often contrived to waylay him in his walks.

Wear

His stock of money began to wear very low.

Weigh

Without sufficiently weighing his expressions.

Where

But where he rode one mile, the dwarf ran four.

Whinger

The chief acknowledged that he had corrected her with his whinger.

White

On the whole, however, the dominie reckoned this as one of the white days of his life.

Who

The brace of large greyhounds, who were the companions of his sports.

Wholesome

A wholesome suspicion began to be entertained.

Wildgrave

The wildgrave winds his bugle horn.

Win

And when the stony path began, By which the naked peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan.

Wind

He therefore turned him to the steep and rocky path which . . . winded through the thickets of wild boxwood and other low aromatic shrubs.

That blast was winded by the king.

Windlace

Two arblasts, . . . with windlaces and quarrels.

Wise-like

The only wise-like thing I heard anybody say.

Witchery

A woman infamous . . . for witcheries.

Withdrawing-room

A door in the middle leading to a parlor and withdrawing-room.

Wive

I have wived his sister.

Wiver

The jargon of heraldry, its griffins, its mold warps, its wiverns, and its dragons.

Woe

Woe worth the chase, woe worth the day, That costs thy life, my gallant gray!

Wonderment

All the common sights they view, Their wonderment engage.

Wonted

Like an old piece of furniture left alone in its wonted corner.

Wooded

The brook escaped from the eye down a deep and wooded dell.

Worm

The men assisted the laird in his sporting parties, wormed his dogs, and cut the ears of his terrier puppies.

Wraith

She was uncertain if it were the gypsy or her wraith.

Wreathe

The nods and smiles of recognition into which this singular physiognomy was wreathed.

Wrest

The minstrel . . . wore round his neck a silver chain, by which hung the wrest, or key, with which he tuned his harp.

Writhe

The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of their sovereign in writhing money from them by every species of oppression.