chapters 5-8 Flashcards
intangible
hard to pin down or identify
“by whatever other intangible circumstance was then”
ascetic
practicing great self denial
“Hester sought not to acquire anything beyond a subsistence, of the plainest and most ascetic description”
imbibe
receive into the mind and retain
“she grew to have a dread of children; for they had imbibed from their parents a vague idea of something horrible in this dreary woman”
callous
emotionally hardened
“Hester Prynne had always this dreadful agony in feeling a human eye upon the token; the spot never grew callous”
insidious
intended to entrap
“could they be other than the insidious whispers of the bad angel”
contumacious
willfully obstinate, stubbornly disobedient
“again a mystic sisterhood would contumaciously assert itself, as she met the sanctified frown of some matron”
aver
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
“they averred that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth”
dexterity
adroitness in using the hands
“by its perfect shape, it’s vigour, and it’s natural Dexterity in the use of all its untried limbs”
procure
get by special effort
“had bought the richest tissues that could be procured”
despondency
feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless
“even some of the very cloud-shapes of gloom and despondency that had brooded in her heart
prolific
bearing in abundance especially offspring
“later in the day of earthly existence, might be prolific of the storm and whirlwind”
caprice
a sudden desire
“in accordance with the caprice that ruled the moment”
inexplicable
incapable of being explained or accounted for
“it was a look so intelligent, yet inexplicable, perverse, sometimes so malicious”
inscrutable
if an obscure nature
“dark, inscrutable forest open to her”
anathema
formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication
“because they had so much the sound of a witchs anathemas in some unknown tongue”
adverse
contrary to your interests or welfare
“this constant recognition of an adverse world”
imperious
having or showing arrogant superiority to
“but was soon as imperious to be let down again”
dauntless
invulnerable to fear or intimidation
“but pearl, who was a dauntless child”
extant
still in existence not extinct destroyed or lost
this was a large wooden house, built in a fashion of which there are specimens still extant in the streets of our older towns now miss grown”
cabalistic
having secret or hidden meaning
“it was further defrosted with a strange and seeming cabalistic figures and diagrams”
burnish
polish and make shiny
“so highly burnished as to glow with white radiance”
panoply
a complete and impressive array
“this bright panoply was not meant for mere idle show”
exigency
sudden unforeseen crisis that requires immediate action
“the exigencies of this new country had transformed gov Bellingham into a soldier”
expatiate
add details as to an account or idea
“showing off his estate, and expatiating his projected improvements”
depravity
moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
“she is equally dark as to her soul its present depravity”
