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”
