V - Dictionary of Shakespeare

Shakespeare's word	Meaning (in the sample usage)	#	Reference(s)	Sample usage
vaward	vanguard, fore part	5	Mids 4.1	we have the vaward of the day
verge	circumference; circle; ring		Rich II	thy head ... incaged in so small a verge
vile	low, cheap, worthless		Lear 3.2	The art of our necessities is strange, That can make vile things precious.

The most comprehensive work on this topic is Alexander Schmidt's Shakespeare Lexicon, a typical turn-of-the-century tome, carried out with Teutonic thoroughness. I wonder how the pre-computer-era scholars tackled projects like this; lots of index cards and infinite patience, I suppose.

Incredibly, the book provides EVERY instance of EVERY word, in context, used by Shakespeare. In any event, for anyone who really enjoys Shakespeare, it's fun to pore over this "volume of forgotten lore," read all the occurrences of "housewife", for example, and ponder the subtle differences of meaning from one usage to the next.

You can order the Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary by Alexander Schmidt (a Dover re-print, 1985) from Amazon.com:

(Vol. 1 A-M) (Vol. 2 N-Z)

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Shakespeare Dictionary - V

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