Shakespeare Dictionary - C

Shakespeare's word

Meaning (in the sample usage)

#

Reference(s)

Sample usage

caitiff

base; wicked and mean; cowardly; despicable;
from the original meaning of "captive; wretched; unfortunate, slave"

13

Lear 3.2
 

Rich II 1.2
 

Meas 2.1

That art incestuous: caitiff, to pieces shake,

A caitiff recreant to my cousin Hereford!

O thou caitiff! O thou varlet! O thou wicked

capable

usually in modern sense, but once -- legally able to inherit, legitimize

16

Lear 2.1

I'll work the means To make thee capable.

catch

song

8

TN 2.3

rouse the night-owl in a catch that will draw three souls out ...

character

handwriting; written letters and words

30

Lear 2.1
 

Rich III 3.1
 

As You 3.2

thou didst produce My very character,

I say, without characters, fame lives long.

these trees shall be my books / And in their barks my thoughts I'll character;

check

38

Lear 2.2;

The good king, his master, will check him

cheveril

kid leather

3

TN 3.1

but a cheveril glove to a good wit

chuck

affectionate term

A&C 4.4

No, my chuck. Eros, come; mine armour, Eros!

clout

a piece of cloth or leather; a patch; a rag; a target

(clouted shoes have been understood by some to mean shoes armed with nails; by others, patched shoes)

9

2 HVI 4.2

2 HIV 3.2

LLL 4.1

Cym 4.2

Spare none but such as go in clouted shoon;

clapped i' the clout at twelve score

must shoot nearer, or he'll ne'er hit the clout

put / My clouted brogues from off my feet, whose rudeness/ Answer'd my steps too loud.

cog

deceive

10

MWW

Oth 4.2

I cannot cog, I cannot prate

some cogging cozening slave

coil

trouble

11

Mids 3.2

Ham 3.1

all this coil is 'long of you

shuffled off this mortal coil

coistrel, coystrill

groom, low fellow

2

TN 1.3

he's a coward and a coystrill that will not drink to my niece

collied

darkened, as with coal

2

Mids 1.1

Oth 2.3

Brief as the lightning in the collied night

... passion, having my best judgment collied

colour

133

Lear 2.2

many

compound

34

Shrew 1.2

Henry V 4.3

MWW 3.5

If for thy ransom thou wilt now compound

consort

gang, mob (derogatory)

11

Lear 2.1

Was he not companion with the riotous knights that tend upon my father?

Yes, madam, he was of that consort.

cony-catch

cheat, swindle; literally 'rabbit-poach'

3

MWW 1.1

your cony-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol

coranto

fast, skipping dance

3

TN 1.3

. . . not go to church in a galliard and come home in a coranto?

couch

sleep, retire

20

Lear 3.1

MWW 5.5

This night, wherein the bear would couch

I'll wink and couch:

cousin-german

relative, kinsman (see germen)

(note pun in MWW, on "cheating Teutons")

1

T & C 4.5

MWW 4.5

my father's sister's son, / A cousin-german to great Priam's seed;

there is three cozen-germans that has cozened all the hosts

cozier

cobbler

1

TN 2.3

that ye squeak out your coziers' catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice?

croak

the raven's hoarse call, (all 4 WS uses include a raven)

4

Lear 3.6

Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee.

crowner

coroner

2

TN 1.5

Go thou and seek the crowner, and let him sit o' my coz

cubiculo

bedroom (Ital.)

1

TN 3.2

We'll call thee at thy cubiculo

cunning

well-qualified, skillful; (but usually with modern undertones of craftiness)

79

Shrew 1.1

1 HVI 2.1

get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her

Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?