belfry a bell tower.
beseech to ask (someone) earnestly; entreat; implore.
bluebells any of various plants with blue, bell-shaped flowers, such as the harebell, Virginia bluebell, etc.
blue-bottle a bright, metallic-blue blowfly.
bourgeoisie the social class between the aristocracy or very wealthy and the working class, or proletariat; middle class.
cardinal of main importance; principal.
catechism a formal series of questions and answers.
Charlemagne A.D. 742-814; king of the Franks (768-814): emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (800-814), also called Charles I or Charles the Great.
clamorous loudly demanding or complaining.
countersign a secret word or signal which must be given to a guard or sentry by someone wishing to pass; password.
cyclical of, or having the nature of, a cycle.
dace any of various small, freshwater fishes related to the carp and minnow.
empirical relying or based on practical experience without reference to scientific principles.
etiolated pale and unhealthy.
farthing a former small British coin, equal to one fourth of a penny.
gelatinous like gelatin or jelly; having the consistency of gelatin or jelly.
haranguing delivering a long, blustering scolding.
heresy any opinion (in philosophy, politics, etc.) opposed to official or established views or doctrines.
impedimenta things hindering progress, encumbrances.
incongruous not corresponding to what is right, proper, or reasonable; unsuitable; inappropriate.
incredulity unwillingness or inability to believe; doubt; skepticism.
Julius Caesar 00?-44 B.C.; Roman general and statesman; dictator (49-44) of the Roman Empire.
knoll a hillock; mound.
lackeys followers who carry out another's orders in the manner of servants.
lingua franca any hybrid language used for communication between different peoples.
meritorious having merit; deserving reward, praise, etc.
Mongolian of Mongolia, its peoples, or their languages or cultures.
Neolithic Age designating or of an Old World cultural period (c. 8000–3500 B.C.) characterized by polished stone tools, pottery, weaving, stock rearing, and agriculture.
niggling stingy.
Oligarchical having to do with a form of government in which the ruling power belongs to a few persons.
ossified settled or rigidly fixed in a practice, custom, attitude, etc.
palimpsest a parchment, tablet, etc. that has been written upon or inscribed two or three times, the previous text or texts having been imperfectly erased and remaining, therefore, still partly visible.
pannikin [Chiefly British] a small pan.
philologist someone who studies linguistics.
pig iron crude iron, as it comes from the blast furnace.
pneumatic tube an inner tube, as in a pneumatic tire.
premonitory advising or warning in advance; foreboding.
remonstrances protests, complaints, or expostulations.
ruminant of the cud-chewing animals.
sanguine of the color of blood; ruddy: said especially of complexions.
simian of or like an ape or monkey.
Socialism any of various theories or systems of the ownership and operation of the means of production and distribution by society or the community rather than by private individuals, with all members of society or the community sharing in the work and the products.
sordid meanly selfish.
spanner [Chiefly British] wrench.
stoneware a dense, opaque, glazed or unglazed pottery containing clay, silica, and feldspar and fired at a high heat.
stratified classified or separated into groups.
subjection a being under the authority or control of another.
superfluous being more than is needed, useful, or wanted; surplus; excessive.
thrush any of a large family of passerine birds, including the European song thrush and blackbird.
titular existing only in title; in name only.
truncheons [Chiefly British] sticks or billy clubs, as used by the police.
varicose ulcer an ulcer resulting from an abnormally and irregularly swollen or dilated vein ("varicose vein").
vilifies uses abusive or slanderous language about or of.
