aborigines of the land aborigines are the first or earliest known inhabitants of a region; here, meaning that the Yahoos were not native to the land of the Houyhnhnms — they came from some other location.
accoutred outfitted; equipped.
adamant a hard stone or substance that was supposedly unbreakable.
ague a fever, usually malarial, marked by regularly recurring chills.
ancient an ensign, or flag.
annual and diurnal motions active throughout the year and during the daytime; here, meaning the project required a time adjustment both yearly and during the day (because the project involved a sundial).
apophlegmatics medicines for eliminating excess phlegm.
arch boy a clever, crafty boy.
awl a small, pointed tool for making holes in wood, leather, etc.
battering the warrior's faces into mummy by terrible yerks smashing the enemy by using kicks to the head.
Bay of Campeche an arm of the Gulf of Mexico, west of the Yucatan peninsula.
the Black Bull in Fetter Lane a place of business (possibly a pub) leased by Gulliver.
a bowling green at Greenwich a smooth lawn at Greenwich, a borough of Greater London.
Bristol barrel a barrel made in Bristol, England.
buff jerkin a short, closefitting, sleeveless jacket or vest made of soft brownish leather.
by rapine or stealth rapine: the act of seizing and carrying off by force others' property.
cabal a small group of persons joined in a secret, often political, intrigue.
calcine ice to burn ice into powder.
calentures any fever caused, as in the tropics, by exposure to great heat.
caprices sudden, impulsive changes in the way one thinks or acts.
carabines (carbines) rifles with short barrels (cavalry rifles).
cephalalgics medicines for the treatment of headaches.
chancery the court of the Lord Chancellor of England.
circumlocutions roundabout, indirect, or lengthy ways of expressing something.
colossus a gigantic statue.
conceit an idea, thought, concept.
concupiscence strong desire; lust.
consorts seventeenth-century English chamber music ensembles, sometimes including vocalists.
copse a thicket of small trees or shrubs.
cordage cords and ropes collectively, especially, the ropes in a ship's rigging.
cudgel a short, thick stick or club.
culverins medieval muskets or heavy cannons.
custom-house officer an agent in a building or office where customs or duties are paid and ships are cleared for entering or leaving.
