ABANDONED - banished, kept away from
ABATE - to lessen, shorten; to blunt; to bar
ABATEMENT - reduction, diminution
ABHOR - to horrify, disgust; to protest
ABIDE - remain, make only a brief stay (Winter’s Tale 42); to face or encounter
ABILITY - wealth, means
ABJECT - adj an object of contempt
ABJECTLY - basely, horribly
ABODE - to bode; ie, an evil omen (3KH6, 56)
ABORTIVE - born prematurely; unnatural
ABRIDGEMENT - a short play
ABROAD - apart from one’s own body; away from one’s home
ABROOK - abide, bear
ABSEY-BOOK - an ABC book
ABSOLUTE - positive, certain
ABUSE - to deceive
ABUSE - deception
ABY - to atone for
ABYSM - abyss
ACCITED - summoned (Titus Andronicus, 11)
ACCUSE - accusation
ACHIEVE - to obtain
ACKNOWN - acknowledge
ACQUITTANCE (1) - a receipt or discharge
ACQUITTANCE (2) - to acquit, clear
ACTION-TAKING - wanting satisfaction through the law
ACTURE - action, performance
ADDITION - title, attribute
ADDRESS - to prepare oneself
ADDRESSED - prepared
ADVANCE - to prefer, promote to honour
ADVERTISEMENT - admonition
ADVERTISING - attentive
ADVICE - consideration, discretion
ADVISE - sometimes neuter, sometimes reflective, to
ADVISED - considerate
ADVOCATION - pleading, advocacy
AFEARED - afraid
AFFECT - to love
AFFRAY - frighten
AFFY - to affiance
AFRONT - in front
AGAZED - looking in amazement
AGLET-BABY - the small figure engraved on a jewel
AGNIZE - to acknowledge, confess (Othello, 13)
A-GOOD - a good deal, plenteously
A-HOLD - a sea-term
AIERIE - the nest of a bird of prey
AIM - a guess
ALDERLIEFEST - dearest of all
ALE - alehouse
ALLAYMENT - abatement; antidote (Cym 1522)
ALL HID - the game of hide and seek
ALLIGANT - a corruption of either ‘elegant’ or ‘eloquent’, used in Wiv 2269
ALLICHOLLY - a corruption of melancholy
ALLOW - to approve
ALLOWANCE - approval
ALMAIN - a German
ALMS-BASKET - public charity (to live on public charity - LLL 5142)
ALMS-DEED - act of charity
ALMS-DRINK - remains of drink set aside for the poor
ALMS-MAN - a person supported by charity
ALOES - a bitter drug
ALONE - unique
ALTER - to exchange
AMAIN - with force
AMAZE - to bewilder, confound
AMBLE - to move around with ease; to move affectedly
AMBUSCADO - ambush
AMES-ACE - two aces, the lowest throw of the dice
AMERCE - punish by fining
AMISS - misfortune; disaster
AMORT - dejected; dispirited
AN - if
ANCHOR - an anchorite, hermit
ANCIENT - an ensign-bearer
ANGEL - a coin, so called because it bore the image of
ANIGHT - by night
ANON - soon
ANSWER - retaliation
ANTHROPOPHAGINIAN - a cannibal
ANTICK - the fool in the old plays
ANTRE - a cave
APPARENT - heir-apparent
APPEAL - accusation
APPEAL - to accuse
APPEARED - made apparent
APPLE-JOHN - a kind of apple
APPOINTMENT - preparation
APPREHENSION - sharp wit
APPREHENSIVE - quick to understand
APPROBATION - probation
APPROPRIATION - special attribute or excellence
APPROOF - trial, proof; approbation
APPROVE - to prove, demonstrate to be true, confirm; to convict; to put to the test; to commend
APPROVER - one who orders a trial
AQUA-VITAE - ardent spirits
AQUILON - the north wind
ARABIAN BIRD - phoenix
ARABIAN TREE - the tree of the phoenix
ARCH - chief, prime, principal
ARGAL - a corruption of Ergo
ARGENTINE - silver
ARGIER - Algiers
ARGOSY - a vessel of Ragusa in Sicily - hence a ship of large size
ARGUMENT - proof, evidence; subject of debate; subject matter of discourse
ARMIGERO - a mistake for Armiger, the Latin for Esquire
AROINT - get thee out of the way
A-ROW - one after another
ARRAS - hanging screen of tapestry
ARREST - to seize; an order or decree
ARTICULATE - to enter into articles of agreement; to set forth in articles
ASKANCE - to turn aside
ASPECT - look, glance
ASPEN - of the asp tree
ASPERSION - sprinkling (of dew)
ASPIC - an asp
ASPIRE - to be ambitious; to rise; to mount up to (obs)
ASSAIL - to address with offers of love
ASSAY - attempt; to learn by experience; to accost (with words of love); to challenge to a trial of skill
ASSAY - to attempt, test, make proof of
ASSINEGO - an ass
ASSUBJUGATE - to subjugate
ASSURANCE - deed of assurance
ASSURED - betrothed
ASTRAE - goddess of justice
ATOMY - an atom; tiny being (insect)
ATONE - to reconcile, unite
ATTACH - to seize, lay hold on
ATTASKED - taken to task, reprehended
ATTEND - to listen to
ATTENT - attentive
ATTORNEY - an agent
ATTORNEY - agent, deputy; advocate or pleader
AUDACIOUS - spirited, daring
AUGUR (1) - carpenter’s tool for creating holes in wood
AUGUR (2) - a prophet; to prophesy (vb)
AUGURE - augury
AUGURER - religious official among the Romans
AUNT - old woman; a gossip
AURICULAR - perceived by the ear
AUTHENTIC - of authority
AUSPICIOUS - favourable; spreading happiness
AVAUNT - order to be gone
AVE - shout of welcome (Latin for hail)
AVE-MARY - recited in saying the Rosary
AVERRING - confirming
AVOID - get rid of
AVOUCH - guarantee; an assurance
AWELESS - fearless; that inspires no awe
AWFUL - respectful; law-abiding
AWKWARD - adverse (invented by Shk), unfavourable; uncouth
AY - yes
AYE - ever