take upon (v.) |
Old form(s): takes vpon , vpon |
undertake a role, assume a responsibility [for oneself]
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take upon (v.) |
Old form(s): vpon |
assume the burden of, undertake the study of [for oneself]
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tallow-catch (n.) |
Old form(s): Tallow Catch |
[unclear meaning] dripping-pan [placed under roasting meat]
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Tantalus (n.) |
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king of Sipylos in Lydia, punished in the Underworld for his crimes; he sits in a pool which recedes when he bends to drink, and the grapes over his head elude his grasp
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see also
Classical mythology
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tardy-apish (adj.) |
Old form(s): tardie apish |
slow in copying, always behind in imitating
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tattered (adj.) |
Old form(s): tatter'd |
jagged, with pointed projections; or: dilapidated, battered
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temper (v.) |
Old form(s): temper'd, tempred |
mould, shape, work, bring [to a particular character]
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temperance (n.) |
Old form(s): Temp'rance |
self-control, calm behaviour, moderation
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tempered (adj.) |
Old form(s): temper'd |
temperate, controlled, brought to the right quality
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temporize (v.) |
Old form(s): temporise |
negotiate, come to terms, effect a compromise
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tender (v.) |
Old form(s): tender'd, tender'st , tendred , tendring |
offer, give, present
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tender-hefted (adj.) |
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[haft = handle] set in a delicate bodily frame; tender-hearted, gentle
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tenor, tenour (n.) |
Old form(s): Tenure, Tenures |
substance, content, matter, drift
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term (n.) |
Old form(s): Tearmes, Terme |
any of four periods of activity within the legal year [Michaelmas, Hilary, Easter, Trinity]
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theme (n.) |
Old form(s): Theame, Theames |
subject, subject-matter, topic of discourse
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thick-coming (adj.) |
Old form(s): thicke-comming |
coming in crowds, frequently appearing
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thievish (adj.) |
Old form(s): theeuish |
frequented by thieves, infested with robbers
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thorny-pricking (adj.) |
Old form(s): thornie pricking |
prickly, barbed, pricking like a thorn
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thought-sick (adj.) |
Old form(s): thought-sicke |
filled with dread, horror-struck
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thread (v.) |
Old form(s): thred , thredding |
trace a path through, make a way through
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three-pile (n.) |
Old form(s): three pile |
costly velvet [with a pile formed from three threads]
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three-piled (adj.) |
Old form(s): three pild, Three-pil'd |
triple-thickness, three-threaded [i.e. very expensive or ornate]
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thrice-driven (adj.) |
Old form(s): thrice-driuen |
with the lightest feathers repeatedly separated; of great comfort
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throe (v.) |
Old form(s): throwes |
agonize, torture, cost in pain [as in childbirth]
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tickle your catastrophe |
Old form(s): tucke |
[catch phrase] make your bottom tingle
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tick-tack (n.) |
Old form(s): ticke- |
type of backgammon in which scoring is by placing pegs in holes
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tiddle-taddle (n.) |
Old form(s): tiddle tadle |
[Welsh pronunciation] tittle-tattle, idle gossip, chatter
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see also
Welsh
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timeless (adj.) |
Old form(s): timeles , timelesse |
untimely, premature, ill-timed
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tiring-house (n.) |
Old form(s): tyring house |
dressing-room, theatrical green room
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tisick (n.) |
Old form(s): tisicke |
consumptive cough, infection of lungs and throat
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toast-and-butter (n.) |
Old form(s): Tostes and Butter |
milksop, wimp, pampered individual
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toil (v.) |
Old form(s): toyl'd , toyle , toyled , toyles |
exhaust, tire out, fatigue
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toll (v.) |
Old form(s): toule |
enter for sale in the toll-book [tax register] of a market
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top / tops of, in (prep.) |
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at the highest level of, at the peak of, in the forefront of
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touch (v.) |
Old form(s): tonch'd, touch'd , toucht |
test the quality [of], put to the test
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touchstone (n.) |
Old form(s): Touch-stone |
type of stone used for testing the quality of a gold or silver alloy
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tower (v.) |
Old form(s): towre , towres, towring |
[falconry] mount up to a great height, circle, soar
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traffic (n.) |
Old form(s): Traffick, Trafficke , Trafficke , traffike , Traffiques |
trade, commerce, business, merchandise
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transmigrate (v.) |
Old form(s): Transmigrates |
pass into a new life; or: decompose, rot
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travail, travel (n.) |
Old form(s): trauaile, trauaill , trauell , trauells , travell |
journeying, travel [often overlapping with the sense of 'labour']
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travail, travel (n.) |
Old form(s): trauaile, trauaill , trauell |
labour, effort, exertion [often overlapping with the sense of 'travel']
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travail, travel (n.) |
Old form(s): Trauaile, trauayle , trauayles |
labour, pain of childbirth
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travail, travel (v.) |
Old form(s): trauaile , trauailes |
labour, make an effort, work hard [for] [often overlapping with the sense of 'travel']
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travail, travel (v.) |
Old form(s): trauaild , trauaile |
travel, journey [often overlapping with the sense of 'labour']
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traversed (adj.) |
Old form(s): trauerst |
placed crosswise, laid across the shoulders
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treacherously (adv.) |
Old form(s): trecherously |
despicably, contemptibly, in a cowardly manner
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treble over (v.) |
Old form(s): Trebbles o're |
make three times greater, increase threefold
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treble-dated (adj.) |
Old form(s): treble dated |
living three times as long as man
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treble-sinewed (adj.) |
Old form(s): trebble-sinewed |
strengthened three times over
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trespass (n.) |
Old form(s): Trespas , trespasse |
wrong, offence, injustice, crime
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tribunal plebs |
Old form(s): Tribunall |
malapropism for ‘tribuni plebis’ [= ‘tribunes of the people’]
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trick (n.) |
Old form(s): tricke, Trickes |
habit, characteristic, typical behaviour
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trim up, trim (v.) |
Old form(s): trimd vp, trim'd vp , trimm'd |
decorate, array, deck out
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triumph (n.) |
Old form(s): Triumphes |
public festivity, pageant, display of celebration, tournament
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triumpher (n.) |
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victor, conqueror, general [given a Roman procession of welcome]
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Troilus (n.) |
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[pron: 'troylus] youngest son of Priam and Hecuba; killed by Achilles; lover of Cressida
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see also
Hecuba 1
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troll-my-dame (n.) |
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type of game in which balls are rolled [trolled] through hoops
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troop (n.) |
Old form(s): troope, Troopes, troups |
company, retinue, band of followers
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troop with (v.) |
Old form(s): troope |
go along with, be associated with, accompany
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trophy (n.) |
Old form(s): Trophee, Trophees |
token of victory, evidence of valour
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truckle-bed (n.) |
Old form(s): Truckle bed |
low-lying bed on castors, trundle-bed
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true-divining (adj.) |
Old form(s): true diuining |
capable of foretelling the truth
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true-fixed (adj.) |
Old form(s): true fixt |
firmly established, immovable, unwavering
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truly-falsely |
Old form(s): truely falsely |
with faithful heart but incorrect speech
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trumpery (n.) |
Old form(s): Tromperie |
fancy garments, showy rubbish, worthless finery
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trundle-tail (n.) |
Old form(s): Troudle taile |
dog with a trailing tail, curly-tailed dog
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try (v.) |
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[nautical] adjust sails so that the ship's bow is into the wind, lie to
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try (v.) |
Old form(s): tride, trie , tried, trye , vtmost |
put to the test, test the goodness [of]
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tub-fast (n.) |
Old form(s): Fubfast |
fasting while being treated for venereal disease in a sweating-tub
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tun-dish (n.) |
Old form(s): Tunne-dish |
[brewing] type of funnel fitting into the bung-hole of a cask [tun]
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Turlygod (n.) |
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[unclear meaning] possibly an allusion to 'turlupin' for a person of no value, from the name of a medieval French heretical sect
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turn (n.) |
Old form(s): turne |
need, requirement, purpose [especially in the phrase ‘serve one's turn’ = meet one's need]
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turn Turk |
Old form(s): Turke , turn'd Turke |
change completely, become a renegade [as if in religion, from Christian to infidel]
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twinned (adj.) |
Old form(s): Twin'd , twinn'd , twyn'd |
indistinguishable, identical, closely linked
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tyranny (n.) |
Old form(s): tiranny , tirrany , Tyrannie |
cruelty, barbarity, unmerciful violence
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