cupolas: Small, domed structures on roofs.
spires: Structures that taper to a point at the top; pinnacles.
perpetuity: For an indefinite amount of time; forever.
aldermen: Members of a local legislative body; city council members.
gilt: Easel a gold, upright frame, or tripod, usually used to display a painting—in this case, Miss Emily’s crayon picture of her father.
crayons: Sticks of colored chalk, or pastels, were called crayons in this era.
invisible watch: Miss Emily’s watch is described as “vanishing into her waist”; symbolically, time has vanished for Miss Emily.
diffident deprecation: Timid disapproval.
lime: Also called quicklime, this white and odorless substance has many uses, including masking foul odors.
tableaux: A living representation of stock photographs of the era; however, in those photographs, the virginal-looking young woman in the background was usually a new bride, and the authoritarian man was usually a grim husband.
spraddled: Straddled, or sprawled.
noblesse oblige: Honorable behavior, considered to be the responsibility of persons of high birth or rank, to members of the lower class.
rustling of craned silk and satin: The reference is to women in high-necked silk and satin dresses, “craning” their necks to spy on Miss Emily and Homer Barron.
Elks’ Club: A social organization that supports a variety of youth activities; persons who apply for membership must be U.S. citizens and must be sponsored by an Elks’ Club member.
alousies: Blinds or shutters that have adjustable horizontal slats; today, similar fixtures are known as mini-blinds.
a man’s toilet set: A mirror, brush, and comb.
cabal: A secret group.
bier: A stand on which a coffin is placed before burial.
sibilant voices: Conversations containing hissing sounds, such as voicing many words with the letter “s.”
valance: Curtains ornamental drapery hung across the top edges of windows.
