Shakespeare's word |
Meaning (in the sample usage) |
# |
Reference(s) |
Sample usage |
recreant |
one who yields in combat, and begs for mercy; a mean-spirited, cowardly wretch |
9 |
Mids 3.2 Lear 1.1 |
Come, recreant; come; thou child; I'll whip thee with a rod Hear me, recreant! |
remotion |
removal |
2 |
Lear 2.4 |
this remotion of the duke and her is practise only. |
rere-mice |
bats |
1 |
Mids 2.2 |
Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings |
reservation |
exception, condition |
5 |
Lear 2.4 |
But kept a reservation to be follow'd With such a number. |
resolve |
explain, clarify |
32 |
Lear 2.4 |
Resolve me, with all modest haste, which way Thou mightst deserve, or they impose, this usage, |
roundly |
plainly, bluntly |
9 |
Shrew 1.2 |
Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee / And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife? |
rubb'd |
hindered, impeded (from bowls) |
3 |
Lear 2.2 |
Whose disposition ... Will not be rubb'd nor stopped |
rudesby |
rough, unmannerly fellow |
2 |
Shrew 3.2 |
To give my hand opposed against my heart / Unto a mad-brain rudesby... |
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:
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