sack to plunder or loot.
searchers of the town health officers whose duty it was to view dead bodies and report on the cause of death.
set cock-a-hoop be boastful or conceited. Capulet is concerned that Tybalt's anger and lack of restraint will spoil the feast.
settled has stopped flowing.
she should be advanced that is, through the socially advantageous marriage to Paris.
she steal . . . hooks emphasizes the pleasures and dangers of Romeo and Juliet's love for each other. The love is a sweet bait or lure and the fearful hooks allude to Romeo's status as a Montague.
shield forbid.
shrieks like mandrakes a mandrake is a poisonous plant whose root was thought to have magic powers because of its fancied resemblance to the human body. It was believed that the mandrake would shriek as it was pulled out of the ground, and to hear a mandrake's shriek was thought to bring death or madness.
shrift confession.
sick and green pale and sickly. Green was the color associated with maids.
simple feeble or foolish.
simpleness foolishness.
sirrah a contemptuous term of address, here used to indicate the difference in social status between Capulet and his servant.
skains-mates cutthroat companions.
smatter to utter or gossip; an onomatopoeic word like "chatter."
society companionship.
soft hush! Wait a moment!
sojourn to live somewhere temporarily.
soon-speeding gear fast-acting.
Spanish blades the best swords were made with Spanish steel.
sped done for.
star-cross'd lovers lovers destined to an unhappy fate.
stark stiff or rigid, as a corpse.
state circumstances.
state rank.
stay undergo.
steads is of benefit to.
stinted stopped crying.
strange reserved, aloof.
subtly hath ministered cunningly has administered.
suit a petition at court which requires the influence of the courtier for it to be heard, for which he will receive financial reward.
suit the act of wooing; courtship.
supple government muscular movement.
surcease cease; stop.
sweetmeats any sweet food or delicacy prepared with sugar or honey.
tackled stair rope ladder.
Taking the measure of an unmade grave Romeo is lying on the ground in despair.
tarry for wait for.
tassel-gentle from "tiercel," a falconry term for a male hawk, especially the male peregrine.
tempering . . . extreme sweet mixing the difficulties facing Romeo and Juliet's relationship with love. Tempering refers to the process used to make steel, and here it is implied that Romeo and Juliet's love is strengthened by the obstacles they face as members of opposing families.
tetchy touchy; irritable; peevish.
to associate me to accompany me.
to fleer to laugh derisively (at); sneer or jeer (at).
to raise a spirit in his mistresses circle Mercutio puns on circle as both the magician's magic circle and the female genitalia.
toy triviality.
transparent heretics Romeo says that if he saw another woman more beautiful than Rosaline his tears would turn to fire and burn his eyes as "transparent heretics" for lying.
trencher a wooden board or platter on which to carve or serve meat.
tributary paying tribute.
tried proved.
trow think.
truckle-bed a low bed on small wheels or casters, that can be rolled under another bed when not in use.
true shrift confession.
tutor me from quarrelling teach me how to avoid getting into a quarrel.
two hours traffic the usual duration of a play.
unaccustomed spirit unusually high spirits.
unattainted unprejudiced.
uneven is the course the decision is arbitrary and one-sided.
unfurnish'd unprepared, without supplies.
unmann'd untrained; also, as yet husbandless.
unthrifty unlucky.
use are accustomed to.
usurer . . . usest . . . use indeed alliterative puns on "usury" and "use": Romeo is not putting his talents to their proper use.
utters sells.
