abroad out and about.
addle muddled and, perhaps, rotten.
ado fuss; trouble; excitement.
advance raise.
agate stone a hard, semiprecious stone.
all dissemblers all liars.
all naught all wicked.
ally relative, kinsman.
ambuscados ambushes.
amerce to punish by imposing a fine.
answer it accept it.
antic face Romeo's face is still covered by his mask.
the ape is dead Romeo is described as a performing monkey who is playing dead and will not respond to Mercutio's conjuration.
aqua vitae alcoholic spirits.
artificial night Romeo's behavior is unnatural (artificial).
As Phaeton . . . immediately Phaeton, the son of Apollo, was allowed to drive the chariot of the sun for a day. His reckless driving nearly set the earth on fire and Zeus, the king of the gods, struck him dead with a thunderbolt.
aspir'd to rise high; to tower.
atomi creatures as small as atoms.
baleful harmful or poisonous.
bandy to toss or hit back and forth, as a ball.
bandying to give and take; to exchange (words) in an angry or argumentative manner.
barefoot brother another friar.
bauble a jester's baton with an ornament at the end.
becomed befitting; becoming.
bedaubed smeared or stained with blood.
beggarly account of empty boxes empty boxes of little worth.
behoveful necessary or required.
benedicite Latin for "bless you!"
benefice an endowed church office providing a living for a vicar, rector, etc.
beshrew to curse: mainly in mild imprecations.
bills medieval weapons having a hook-shaped blade with a spike at the back, mounted on a long staff.
bitt'rest gall bitter feeling; rancor. Gall is another name for bile, one of the bodily humors (that is, bodily fluids thought to be responsible for one's health and disposition).
blaze proclaim in public.
blazen declare or celebrate.
bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud at home, Juliet is under her father's strict discipline and must whisper as though she is hoarse to avoid detection.
bound obliged or indebted.
bow in the hams make a bow.
brine salt water; that is, tears.
broke her brow fell and cut her forehead.
by and by soon.
by my holidame from the Anglo-Saxon for holiness, here used by the Nurse to mean "holy dame," that is, the Virgin Mary.
by rote by memory alone, without understanding or thought.
by the operation of the second cup by the time the second cup of liquor has taken effect upon him.
by th'rood an oath by Christ's cross.
caitiff wretched.
cancell'd love Romeo thinks that his killing Tybalt will render his marriage to Juliet null and void.
captain of compliments in dueling, one who has mastered all the rules and moves.
care desire.
carry no crotchets put up with none of your notions or whims.
case mask.
catling a small lute or fiddle string made out of cat gut.
challenge claim.
chapless without the lower jaw.
charge important matters.
charnel house a building or place where corpses or bones are deposited.
chinks plenty of cash.
churl a surly, ill-bred person.
civil night sober, serious night.
closet a small room or cupboard for clothes.
clout any piece of cloth, esp. one for cleaning.
coil commotion; turmoil.
colliers coal miners.
common bound ordinary limit, with a pun on "bound," as bound to leap about and to be confined.
complain lament as a lover.
conceal'd lady Juliet, Romeo's secret wife.
conceit thought.
conceive understand.
conduct guide.
conduct that is, the poison.
confusion's . . . confusions the solution is not to be found in this uncontrollable grief.
conjuration solemn entreaty.
conjure to summon a demon or spirit as by a magic spell. Mercutio attempts to raise or draw Romeo from his hiding place.
consorted associated with.
cop'st is willing to face or encounter.
cordial an invigorating medicine that stimulates the heart.
cords the rope ladder so that Romeo can climb up to Juliet's balcony.
cot-quean a man who usurped the place of the housewife. The Nurse teases Capulet for the pride and concern he takes in household affairs.
countervail to match or equal.
cousin loosely, any relative by blood or marriage.
cross to thwart.
crow a crowbar.
crystal scales Romeo's eyes are like the pans on a set of crystal scales.
culled picked out; selected.
culling of simples gathering herbs.
curfew bell the bell used especially in the medieval and renaissance periods, which rang in the morning and evening to signal curfew.
Cynthia's brow the moon.
dear employment important purpose.
dear import of serious concern.
death-darting eye of cockatrice a cockatrice is a fabulous serpent supposedly hatched from a cock's egg and having power to kill by a look.
death-mark'd doomed from the outset; fated.
deflowered by him having lost her virginity to him.
demesnes a region or domain. Here Mercutio uses it to refer bawdily to the female genitalia.
demesnes the land around a mansion; lands of an estate.
descry detect.
desperate tender bold offer.
dignity rank, or title.
discoloured bloodstained.
dishclout a cloth for washing dishes.
disparagement disrespect.
Displant a town transplant a town; that is, do the near-impossible.
disposition inclination.
distemperature a disordered condition, especially of the body or the mind.
divinest show excellent appearance.
do I live dead Romeo regards Rosaline's decision to remain chaste as a form of living death.
doff discard.
doom judgment.
doublet a man's close-fitting jacket with or without sleeves, worn chiefly from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
dram potion.
draw your neck out of collar Gregory puns on the word "draw" here, implying that Sampson will draw or slip his head out of a hangman's noose (collar).
drift intention.
drudge a person who does hard, menial, or tedious work.
dull earth Romeo's description of himself.
endart shoot as a dart.
enjoined ordered.
enmity hatred; hostility.
environ'd with surrounded by.
extremes severe difficulties.
faint cold fear fear causing a chilling faintness.
fatal loins fateful, unfortunate, offspring.
fay faith: used in oaths as here.
feasting presence presence chamber: the room in which a king or other person of rank or distinction formally receives guests.
feign to make a false show of; pretend.
fiddlestick the bow for a fiddle. Mercutio puns on the word as he draws his rapier.
field-bed bed upon the ground.
flirt-gills loose women.
foe supposed that is, because Juliet is a Capulet.
fond foolish.
fond tender and affectionate; loving; sometimes, affectionate in a foolish or overly indulgent way.
form of wax not a real man, no more durable than a wax figure.
forsooth yes indeed.
forsworn promised not to love.
gadding wandering about in an idle or restless way.
gleek a gesture of contempt or a rebuke.
glooming peace peace overshadowed with grief.
god of my idolatry the object of my excessive devotion.
gossamers filmy cobwebs floating in the air or spread on bushes or grass.
Ha! ha! Capulet is reflecting on the plans he is making; he is not laughing.
hap good luck or news.
harlotry willful behavior or hussy. Capulet regards his daughter with contempt.
the hay! term used to indicate that your opponent has been hit.
held him carelessly thought little of him, neglected his memory.
her vestal livery chaste appearance or virginal dress.
here's goodly gear a large clothes horse, refers to the appearance of the Nurse, who is also described in this scene as a sail. Romeo also continues Mercutio's series of bawdy puns in this scene, as gear refers to the reproductive organs.
he's a man of wax he's perfect, without fault, like a wax figure.
hilding a low, contemptible person.
holy palmers' kiss a palmer is a pilgrim who carried a palm leaf to signify the making of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. For Romeo, love is likened to a religious quest.
holy physic spiritual remedy.
hoodwink'd blindfolded.
humour fluid.
hunt's-up morning song used to wake huntsmen and, more traditionally, a newly married bride.
hurdle a kind of frame or sled on which prisoners in England were drawn through the streets to execution.
huswife a housewife.
I am no pilot . . . should adventure for such merchandise Romeo describes himself as a merchant venturer, one who would make risky voyages to be with Juliet.
I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it an Italian insult, a provocative, probably obscene gesture.
I'll cry a match I'll claim the victory.
I'll try . . . fingers from the saying that only bad cooks will not be able to lick their own fingers; that is, the servants will see if they are willing to test their own cooking.
an ill-beseeming semblance an unfitting or inappropriate outward appearance or aspect.
immortal punning on the moves as both famous and fatal.
in proof when actually experienced.
in this love in your concern for her material and earthly well-being.
intercession prayers and petitions.
jaunce trudge up and down.
jealous hood jealous wife. Capulet is humorously responding to his wife's remarks about his past.
jealous suspicious.
Jove king of the Roman gods.
keepers guards, as of prisoners.
kill your joys kill your children and turn your joy to sorrow.
laid wormwood to my dug rubbed wormwood on my nipple: a method of weaning children. The Nurse's role when Juliet was a young child was to act as her wet-nurse and breast-feed Juliet.
Lammas-tide a harvest festival formerly held in England on Aug. 1, when bread baked from the first crop of wheat was consecrated at Mass. The festival is used to symbolize fertility and plentitude, qualities which can be linked to Juliet as a young adolescent.
lantern an open or windowed structure on the roof of a building or in the upper part of a tower or the like, to admit light or air.
lay knife aboard lay claim to.
lesser cause that is, a woman, an amorous liaison.
let mischance be slave to patience submit to these unfortunate events with patience.
lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts Romeo is almost walking on air.
light'ning before death! Romeo refers to the belief that on the point of death the spirits were supposed to revive.
loggerhead a stupid fellow; blockhead. Capulet puns on the second servant's ability to find logs for the fire.
long spinners' legs the legs of the crane fly.
lose a winning match . . . stainless maidenhoods that is, win Romeo by surrendering to him.
lour scowl or frown upon.
love so gentle in his view love, often represented as Cupid, appears gentle.
love's shadows dreams; visions.
maidenhead virginity.
mammet doll or puppet.
marchpane marzipan, a confection of ground almonds, sugar, and egg white made into a paste and variously shaped and colored.
mark you me take notice of what I say; pay attention.
marry an exclamation of surprise. "Marry" is a respelling of (the Virgin) "Mary."
mattock a tool for loosening the soil: it is like a pickax but has a flat, adz-shaped blade on one or both sides.
medlars small, brown, apple-like fruit.
merry dump here an oxymoron: a sad tune or song.
mew'd up a mew is a cage for molting hawks. Juliet has shut herself away to grieve.
mickle much or great.
misadventur'd unlucky.
misgives feels fear, doubt, or suspicion.
mistemper'd bad-tempered, angry; here, also referring to weapons which have been tempered, or made hard, in blood rather than water.
mistress minion spoiled hussy.
modern commonplace.
move persaude.
moved angry.
my bosom's lord love.
natural fool; idiot.
new infection to thy eye Benvolio continues to encourage Romeo to look for another love. Ironically, Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight.
nice trivial.
night's candles the stars.
nimble-pinion'd swift-winged.
none ill no bad ones.
nothing slow to slack his haste by no means reluctant if I should slow him down in his haste.
obsequies funeral rites.
old cakes of roses dried rose leaves pressed into cakes.
open-arse slang term for a medlar; "arse" is the buttocks.
ordained festival prepared for the wedding festivities.
orisons prayers.
osier cage basket made from willow.
overwhelming overhanging.
partisans broad-bladed weapons with a long shaft, used especially in the 16th century.
parts attractive qualities.
passado a forward thrust.
pastry place where pastry is made.
pate the head, esp. the top of the head.
pennyworths small portions.
pensive sad; melancholy.
Pentecost a religious festival, the seventh Sunday after Easter.
penury extreme poverty.
perjuries the breaking of promises.
pitch falconry term used to describe the height from which a bird of prey swoops to seize its prey.
piteous overthrows their end or death, which arouses or deserves pity or compassion.
pitiful case pitiful state of affairs.
plantain leaf the leaf was used to heal cuts and bruises. Romeo replies sarcastically that Benvolio's suggestion of a cure for Romeo's love melancholy would be as effective as applying a plantain leaf.
poised balanced, weighed.
poperin pear Mercutio compares the pear with the shape of the male genitals and puns on the name: pop-her-in.
portly dignified or well-mannered.
posterity Rosaline's celibacy will prevent her passing on her beauty to her children or descendants.
post-horses horses kept at a post house, or inn, for couriers and post chaises or for hire to travelers.
pouts upon treats with contempt.
prates talks much and foolishly; chatters.
presage predict; forecast.
princox a coxcomb; fop. Capulet is keen to belittle Tybalt and force him to submit to his will as head of the household.
prodigious both wonderful and portentous.
promotion advancement in rank.
prorogue postpone; delay.
prorogued delayed; postponed.
provision food and other supplies.
puling fool whimpering child.
punto reverso a backhanded thrust.
purple fountains jets of blood.
Queen Mab a fairy queen who controlspeople's dreams.
quit reward you for.
quote note or observe.
rage insanity, madness.
rail'st complain.
rancour a continuing and bitter hate or ill will.
rate to scold severely; chide.
rebeck a three stringed fiddle.
receptacle repository or sepulcher.
reeky emitting a strong, unpleasant smell.
remnants of packthread remains of strong, thick thread or twine for tying bundles, packages, and so on.
residence the place in which a person or thing resides.
riddling puzzling or enigmatic.
roe fish eggs.
ropery roguery.
rosemary evergreen herb which was used as a symbol of remembrance.
runagate fugitive (runaway).
rust corruption, decay.
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.
vain fantasy misleading flights of imagination. This is how Mercutio perceives love.
validity value or worth.
vanity earthly pleasures or happiness.
virtues qualities.
visor mask.
waggoner driver.
wanny pale.
wanton's bird that is, the pet of an undisciplined, spoiled child.
weeds garments; clothing.
we'll not carry coals an old-fashioned saying, which meant to submit to insults.
well-apparell'd April clothed or adorned with images of new growth associated with the spring, such as leaves and blossom. Contrast with "limping winter."
when King . . . lov'd the beggar maid a 16th-century ballad.
wherefore why?
wink close and be unable to see.
winking turning a blind eye to.
world's exile Romeo feels exiled from the world.
wrought arranged for.
you have been a mouse-hunt in your tim you have chased after women in your youth. "Mouse" was an amorous term for a woman and here suggests the image of a cat prowling after a mouse.
you kiss by th'book that is, according to convention.
young cockerel's stone young rooster's testicle.
zounds an oath. The abbreviated form of the oath "By God's wounds."
