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William Shakespeare Dictionary

PACK 
a number of people confederated 
PADDOCK 
a toad 
PAID 
punished 
PALABRAS 
words
PALE 
to enclose 
PALL 
to wrap
PALLED 
impaired 
PALMER 
one who bears a palm-branch, in token of having made a pilgrimage to Palestine 
PALMY 
victorious 
PARCELLED 
belonging to individuals 
PARD 
the leopard 
PARLE 
talk 
PARLOUS 
perilous keen, shrewd 
PARTED 
endowed, gifted 
PARTIZAN 
a pike 
PASH 
to strike violently, to bruise, crush 
PASS 
to practise To surpass expectation 
PASSANT 
a term of heraldry, applied to animals represented on the shield as passing by at a 
trot 
PASSING 
surpassingly, exceedingly 
PASSIONATE 
to suffer, to have feelings 
PASSY-MEASURE 
a kind of dance 
PASTRY 
the room where pastry was made 
PATCH 
a mean fellow 
PATCHED 
dressed in motley 
PATCHERY 
trickery 
PATH 
to walk 
PATHETICAL 
affected, hypocritical 
PATIENT 
to make patient, to compose 
PATINE 
the metal disc on which the bread is placed in the administration of the Eucharist 
PATTERN 
to give an example
PAUCA VERBA 
few words 
PAUCAS 
few
PAVIN 
a dance 
PAX 
a small image of Christ 
PAY 
to despatch 
PEAT 
a term of endearment for a child 
PEDASCULE 
a pedant, schoolmaster 
PEER 
to peep out 
PEIZE 
to balance, weigh down 
PELTING 
paltry 
PERDU 
lost 
PERDURABLE 
durable 
PERDY 
a euphemism for Par Dieu 
PERIAPTS 
charms worn round the neck 
PERJURE 
a perjured person 
PERSEVER 
to persevere 
PERSPECTIVE 
a telescope, or some sort of optical glass 
PEW-FELLOW 
a comrade 
PHEEZE 
to comb, fleece, curry 
PIA-MATER 
the membrane covering the brain, the brain itself 
PICK 
to pitch, throw 
PICKED 
chosen, selected 
PICKERS 
thieves, the fingers, used ridiculously 
PICKING 
insignificant 
PICKT-HATCH 
a place noted for brothels
PIED 
motley-coated, wearing the motley coat of a jester 
PIELED 
shaven 
PLIGHT 
pitched 
PILCHER 
a scabbard 
PILL 
to pillage 
PIN 
a malady of the eye The centre of a target 
PINFOLD 
a pound, a place to confine lost cattle 
PIONED 
digged 
PLACKET 
a petticoat-front 
PLAITED 
intricate 
PLANCHED 
made of boards 
PLANTATION 
colonizing, planting a colony 
PLAUSIVE 
plausible 
PLEACHED 
interwoven 
POINT 
a lace furnished with a tag by which the breeches were held up 
POINT-DE-VICE 
faultless 
POLLED 
bare 
POMANDER 
a perfumed ball 
POMEWATER 
a kind of apple 
POOR-JOHN 
a herring 
POPINJAY 
a parrot 
PORT 
pomp, state 
PORT 
a gate 
PORTABLE 
bearable 
PORTANCE 
conduct, behavior 
POSSESS 
to inform 
POTCH 
to push violently 
POTENT 
a potentate 
POUNCET-BOX 
a box for holding perfumes 
POWER 
forces, army 
PRACTISE 
wicked stratagem 
PRACTISANT 
a confederate 
PRANK 
to dress up 
PRECEPT 
a justice's summons 
PRECIOUSLY 
in business of great importance 
PRENOMINATE 
to name beforehand, to prophesy 
PRE-ORDINANCE 
old-established law 
PRESENCE 
the presence-chamber
PREST 
ready 
PRETENCE 
design 
PRETEND 
to portend
PREVENT 
to anticipate 
PRICK 
the mark denoting the hour on a dial, to incite To choose by pricking a hole with a 
pin opposite the name 
PRICK-SONG 
music sung in parts by note 
PRICKET 
a stag of two years 
PRIDE 
heat 
PRIG 
to steal 
PRIME 
rank, lecherous 
PRIMER 
more-important 
PRIMERO 
a game at cards 
PRINCIPALITY 
that which holds the highest place 
PRINCOX 
a coxcomb 
PRISER 
a prize-fighter 
PROCURE 
to bring 
PROGRESS 
a royal ceremonial journey 
PROJECT 
to shape or contrive 
PROMPTURE 
suggestion 
PRONE 
ready, willing 
PROOF 
strength of manhood 
PROPAGATE 
to advance, to forward 
PROPAGATION 
obtaining 
PROPER-FALSE 
natural falsehood 
PROPERTIED 
endowed with the properties of 
PROPERTIES 
scenes, dresses,used in a theatre 
PROPERTY 
to take possession of 
PROPOSE 
to suppose, for the sake of argument To converse 
PROROGUE 
to defer 
PROVAND 
provender 
PROVISION 
forecast 
PUCELLE 
a virgin, the name given to Joan of Arc 
PUDENCY 
modesty 
PUGGING 
thieving 
PUN 
to pound 
PURCHASE 
to acquire, win 
PURCHASE 
gain, winnings 
PUT 
to compel 
PUTTER-ON 
an instigator 
PUTTER-OUT 
one who lends money at interest 
PUTTING-ON 
instigation 
PUTTOCK 
a kite 

Interpreting Elizabethan / Shakespearean Manuscripts and Original Documents
 

Vital, but little known, information about the Elizabethan alphabet is essential when looking at copies of original manuscripts of the period - examples of which can be found in Shakespeare's ' First Folio '. Learning the alphabet used during the Elizabethan era will no doubt clarify many questions that the differences of the Tudor / Elizabethan alphabet have raised such as "Couldn't Elizabethans spell properly?" and "Why is there so much confusion with the letters 'u' and 'v' and 'i' and 'j' ?Shakespeare translations and understanding the real meanings behind some of the Shakespeare language in the great plays and sonnets can be difficult. And this is hardly surprising when the expressions and their meanings have been obsolete since the Elizabethan era!
 


William Shakespeare Education - the Elizabethan Alphabet - Differences only 24 letters - Deciphering manuscripts of the era

William Shakespeare - Language, Vocabulary and Dictionary

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