# Forum Other Languages English for Russians - Изучаем английский язык Learn English - Грамматика, переводы, словарный запас  The Handmaid's Tale- Vocabulary

## rockzmom

Vocabulary List - The Handmaid’s Tale  
1.    Anachronisms - n. – something out of its proper time.   Example – Shakespeare’s Romeo calling Juliette in her cellie. 
2.    Blatant - adj. – completely (and often offensively) obvious. Example – A person at a funeral blah, blahing on their phone! 
3.    Ceremony: A formal act. "The ceremony goes as usual" Page 93. 
4.    Contaminate: To sicken or spread to. "...flesh sickens and contaminates her..." Page 95. 
5.    Covet - v. – to desire or want excessively. 
6.    Covert – adj. – concealed; hidden; secret.  Ex.  A covert mission for the FBI. 
7.    Decorum - n. – appropriateness of behavior or conduct. 
8.    Demure – adj. – modest and reserved in behavior. 
9.    Diminutive – adj. – small in  size. 
10.    Disconsolate – adj.  – hopelessly sad 
11.    Eccentric: Outside of the norm. "...the gold fingernail she wore to be eccentric..." Page 37. 
12.    Ethereality: Highly refined, delicate. "...both ethereality and matter..." Page 93. 
13.    Eunuch: A castrated man. "...a eunuch in the background, standing guard..." Page 69. 
14.    Furtive – adj. – sly and sneaky. 
15.    Gauziness: Thin fabric covered. "...by the gauziness of its fabric..." Page 93. 
16.    Genteel – adj. – refined in manner; polite. 
17.    Glimmering: A dim flash of light. "....glimmering in the aura cast by the searchlight...." Page 96. 
18.    Hazardous: Marked by danger. "...risker, more hazardous..." Page 40. 
19.    Incognito – adj. – the state of being disguised or concealed. 
20.    Insatiability: Impossible to satisfy. "...that talent for insatiability?" Page 2. 
21.    Ingratiate – v. – to try to get on the good side of someone; blatantly sucking up. 
22.    Interpreter: A person who translates languages. "..says the interpreter again, to catch our attention..." Page 29. 
23.    Loathing: Great dislike. "...loathing in her voice..." Page 95. 
24.    Menial – adj. – pertaining to a job seen as servile or lowly. 
25.    Irreverent – adj. disrespectful; especially toward sacred things or accepted standards. 
26.    Jaunty – adj. crisp and dapper in appearance; well-bred. 
27.    Lugubrious – adj. – exaggerated mourning. 
28.    Nostalgic – adj. – a bittersweet longing for things past. 
29.    Obligatory – adj. – mandatory; compulsory. 
30.    Palimpsest – n. – a written document, often on vellum or parchment, that has been written on several times with remnants of the previous writing still visible. 
31.    Parody – n. – a literary or artistic work that mimics an author’s style and hold it up to ridicule. 
32.    Pedantic – adj. – characterized by narrow and often ostentatious concern for book learning and rules. 
33.    Precedent – n. – an act or instance that may be used as an example for future cases. 
34.    Pungent – adj. – a strong or sharp taste or smell (not necessarily bad). "...the pungent smell of sweat..." Page 1. 
35.    Quagmire – n. – 1. a swamp.  2. A difficult situation. 
36.    Reproach – v. – to blame for something; scold. 
37.    Sacrilege – n. – the desecration, misuse or theft of something sacred. 
38.    Sanctity – n. – holiness of life; saintliness. 
39.    Sparse – adj. – growing or settled at widely spaced intervals. 
40.    Spindly – adj. – 1. slender and elongated. 2. Of weak growth. 
41.    Sterile: Incapable of reproducing. "...he's a forbidden word. Sterile..." Page 61. 
42.    Tokens: A coin-like version of currency. "...hand their tokens across it..." Page 25. 
43.    Treacherous: Not to be relied on. "...a treacherous smell, and I know I must shut it out..." Page 47. 
44.    Undulate – v. – moving in a wavelike manner. 
45.    Surreptitiously – adv. – done in a sneaky or sly manner. 
46.    Unfathomable – adj. – unable to be misunderstood or measured.  
47.    Wheedle – v. – to persuade by flattery or guile.

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## rockzmom

*palimpsest:* a parchment from which writing has been erased to make room for another text             *pedantic:* overly concerned with minute details  *debase:* to reduce in value or dignity *pungent:* sharply affecting taste or smell *catkins:* drooping cluster of cylindrical flowers   *servile:* submissive; fawning *surly:* rude; unfriendly; bad-tempered *stipple:* a painting made with dots or small spots

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