Shakespeare Dictionary - T


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Generate random Shakespearean insults

Shakespeare's word

Meaning (in the sample usage)

#

Reference(s)

Sample usage

tabor

small drum

9

TN 3.1

dost thou live by thy tabour?

tang

resound

3

TN 2.5

let thy tongue tang arguments of state

tax

accuse, charge, censure

(also in modern sense)

11

Lear 3.2

I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness

teem

bear children; be impregnated

3

Lear 1.4

Oth 4.1

If she must teem/ create her child of spleen;

If that the earth could teem with women's tears

tester, testril

sixpence (from Fr. head)

3

TN 2.3

There's a testril of me too:

thought-executing

instantly

1

Lear 3.2

You sulphurous and thought-executing fires

tithing

parish

1

Lear 3.4

Poor Tom ... who is whipped from tithing to tithing

touch

try, prove, as a touchstone

(also in modern sense)

116

Oth 3.3

Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed

toy

wild fancy; an odd conceit; folly

15

Oth 3.4

Pray heaven it be ... no conception nor no jealous toy concerning you.

troth

belief; faith; fidelity

95

Lear 3.4

Bid her alight, And her troth plight,

tucket

trumpet flourish

1

Lear 2.4

[Tucket within]

Shakespeare Dictionary A-MThe 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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