damage to the pile a pile is a long, heavy timber driven into the ground to support a structure; here, meaning that Gulliver did not want to damage the structural support of the Emperor's palace by stepping in the wrong place.
debauched led astray morally; corrupt; depraved.
declivity a downward slope or sloping, as of a hill.
demesnes lands or estates belonging chiefly to a lord and not rented or let but kept in his hands.
diuretic increasing the excretion of urine.
domestic spectres ghostly servants.
the Downs the locale of Gulliver's home in England.
draymen persons whose work involves hauling loads in a dray (a cart).
dugs a female animal's nipples, teats, or udder.
durst dared.
East and West Indies East: Malay Archipelago; especially, the islands of Indonesia; West: the large group of islands between North America and South America; it includes the Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas.
encomiums formal expressions of high praise.
equipage furnishings; accessories.
espalier a lattice or trellis on which trees and shrubs are trained to grow flat.
expostulate to reason with a person earnestly, objecting to that person's actions or intentions.
express a special messenger; courier.
fortnight a period of two weeks.
fortnight a period of two weeks.
four hundred pounds for a portion The part of a man's money or property contributed by his bride; here, meaning Gulliver's dowry.
frog of the foot a triangular, horny pad in the posterior half of the sole of a horse's hoof.
