Student Guide Dictionary for:

Famous Men of Rome

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

Heidi

Lassie Come Home

~A~

Accustomed place

Adequate sufficient, enough

Adjacent next to, neighboring

Adorned decorated

Affably easygoing, friendly

Affectionate loving

Agile quick in movement

Agonized painful

Alluring attractive or tempting

Aloof at a distance

Altar platform for worship or sacrifice

Alarmed startled, overcome with sudden fear

Ambassadors diplomats; envoys; state officials sent to solve disputes

Ambition a strong desire to succeed

Ambled walked slowly

Amiability friendliness

Amphi from Greek: on both sides

Appeased satisfied; relieved

Appointed (appoint) assign to an office or duty

Aqueduct artificial channel for transporting water

Arena round or oval stadium

Armistice truce

Asserted stated something as being true

Astonished (astonish) to surprise

Augurs male fortuneteller

Augustus Latin: sacred, venerable

Avenge to take vengeance on another

Averts to ward off or prevent

Avid eager, enthusiastic

~B~

Bane person or thing causing someone’s downfall

Banish to expel from a place, as a punishment

Barbarian savage; uncivilized; non-Roman

Barricades defensive barrier

Barter direct exchange of goods without money

Battering rams engine designed to break down walls

Bear me out agree with

Beckoned gestured to someone to come

Befriended (befriend) to make a friend of

Bellows air blowing device

Beseechingly in a desperate, pleading way

Besiege to surround by army

Bewildered confused

Bidding orders

Bleak gray; depressing

Bludgeoned beaten or knocked down

Blunders mistakes

Boisterous noisy

Boughs branches of a tree

Bows front part of a ship

Brandishing waving

~C~

Campaign a series of operations

Canny crafty, clever

Capital government building

Carcass dead body of an animal

Careworn worried

Cascaded flowed fast in large amounts

Catacombs underground cemeteries, used by early Christians

Cease to stop

Censor magistrate in charge of the census

Cinders hot ashes

Circumvent go around a restriction

Clad dressed

Cocky feeling too proud of oneself

Coecus (Caecus) Latin: blind

Cohorts company of soldiers, one-tenth of a legion

Colossal of immense size

Colossus huge statue

Concealed hidden

Concealment being hidden; secrecy; privacy

Condemn (condemned) sentenced, to convict as guilty

Consoling comforting

Consolingly in a way that comforts someone sad

Conspirators one who makes a plot

Conspired planned with others against someone

Constitution the body’s ability to keep healthy

Consuls highest governing official of the Roman state

Contempt looking down on; scorn; lack of respect

Contented happy, satisfied

Contentment a feeling of calm or satisfaction

Contradict to disagree with

Converted (convert) to change religions

Conviction firm belief

Cordial a strong, sweetened liquor

Cordially in a warm, friendly manner

Courtiers attendants in the royal court

Christened named

Crestfallen disappointed; discouraged

Crooned sang or murmured gently

Cryptic mysterious

~D~

Dainty delicate

Decoy a lure used by a hunter

Degenerating (degenerate) to fall apart

Degraded lowered in rank; disgraced

Deprived lacking or kept from something one needs

Descendants offspring

Desertion leaving one’s duty without permission

Detached separated

Dethrone to remove from the throne

Devoured (devour) to eat up

Dictator leader appointed for 6 months during danger

Dire troubling, horrible

Disclaimed denied knowing about something

Disdainful scornful; looking down upon

Disheveled untidy; disorderly

Disperse to spread out or scatter

Dispute to disagree and argue

Dominions lands ruled by someone

Dourly sternly and seriously

Downcast depressed, sad

~E~

Eagle bearer soldier who carried pole with eagles on top

Ecstatically with joyful excitement

Edict official order

Eerie unnerving, spooky

Elemental basic and essential

Eloquence impressive speech

Eloquent well-spoken, expressive

Elude to escape

Emaciated very thin

Eminences rises of ground, high places

Encamped (encamp) to set up camp

Enchanted put under a spell

Encountered to come upon or meet with

Engaged involved

Enraged very angry, infuriated

Entitled had a right to; deserved

Entrenched surrounded by trenches

Envoys government messenger

Equivocation evasion; statement that is unclear and misleading

Erected (erect) to build up; to raise up

Exasperation great annoyance or frustration

Exertions hard work

Expedition trip; voyage

Expel to force out

Exquisite exceptionally fine

Extent scope, limit, size

Extravagance luxury, excess

Extricate to untangle

~F~

Faculty ability; skill

Fasces emblem of authority: ax in a bundle of rods

Feeble weak

Felix Latin: happy or fortunate

Ferocious vicious

Fervently having great enthusiasm or spirit

Festering generating pus from infection; becoming infected

Filial befitting a son

Flee to escape from danger

Fleeting temporary; passing quickly

Flourishing thriving

Flushed red in the face; rose-cheeked

Foliage the leaves of a plant; leafage

Foreboding a feeling that evil or misfortune is coming

Forfeit lost to someone else

Forlorn sad, downcast; lonely and miserable

Forsakes abandons

Fortified protected with walls, engines, etc.

Fortify to strengthen

Fraternizing being friendly with someone

~G~

Gaiety high-spirits, merrymaking

Gait manner of walking

Gallant brave

Gaunt lean; thin

Generation group of people born around the same time

Geography the study of places on a map

Gilded layered with gold

Glibly insincerely

Gloating feeling great, often evil pleasure about someone’s misfortune

Glutton greedy with food and drink

Gluttony to much eating or drinking

Gnawed worn away by chewing

Grimaces painful facial expressions

Groped felt about blindly

Gouging taking advantage

Grandeur magnificence

Gumption common sense

~H~

Halfwitted stupid

Hapless unlucky

Harried annoyed, harassed

Haste speed; rapidity

Hastened (hasten) to move quickly; to hurry

Havoc great destruction or damage

Heir one who inherits

Hermit loner; withdrawn from others

Hesitate to be slow to act

Hoax a trick to make something seem real that’s not

Hobnailed nailed soles

Homage praise

Humbly not arrogantly, modestly

~I~

Idle unproductive

Immobility the inability to move

Impasse a dead end

Imperceptible very slight, not noticeable

Impertinent rude

Imploring desperately begging

Imposing impressive

Improvising to make or do something at the spur of the moment

Impudence rudeness, offensive boldness

Impulse a sudden urge

Incandescent glowing brightly

Inclination a liking or preference

Indignant offended; insulted

Induce to persuade

Industrial having to do with making products

Industrious skillful, diligent

Ingrained firmly fixed in someone’s mind

Innocent not guilty of a crime

Innovative in a new way

Inquisitive curious, or wanting to know more

Inroads raids

Intently with great focus

Interfere to meddle, to get between others

Intimate close, very personal

Intrusion unwelcome arrival

~J~

January first month of the year; month of Janus

Javelins light throwing spear

Jeered laughed scornfully at someone

Jugum Latin: a yoke

~K~

Kettle metal pot for boiling water or cooking

~L~

Labarum military symbol with cross and Christ’s initials

Laden heavily loaded; burdened

Legions division of Roman army, 4000-5000 men

Liberated freed

Lictors police officer

Logic the study of thinking rightly

Lope a long, easy stride

Lustily with spirit and enthusiasm

~M~

Meagre (meager) poor

Melancholy depressed; sad

Merciful kind, showing mercy

Menacing threatening

Mimicked copied; imitated

Modest not drawing attention to your achievements

Monetary having to do with money

Morose gloomy

Moustaches facial hair above the upper lip

~N~

Naumachia mock ship battle, stadium for…

~O~

Obedient obeying

Obstreperous noisily and disorderly

Ominous suggesting that something bad may happen

Orator one who gives public speeches

Ordinary common, everyday kind

~P~

Pale not colorful, bright, or lively

Papyrus plant pounded to make paper

Parapet protective railing or barrier

Parcels something wrapped up in paper; packages

Passionately showing strong feeling

Patricians nobles; ruling class

Patriotism devotion to one’s own country

Pavilion a large tent

Peaky sickly; pale

Penance self-punishment to show remorse

Penitently feeling sorry for sin or wrongdoing

Pension money paid to retired persons

Peremptory commanding

Perish to die

Perplexed puzzled or confused

Persecute to make suffer for one’s beliefs

Pert bold; spirited

Petty small, insignificant, minor

Piers platforms over water

Pilum long spear

Plebeians the common people

Precipitately suddenly

Prejudiced biased; influenced; based on feelings not facts

Presume to believe something to be true

Pretense behavior that tries to deceive

Profusion a great amount

Prospect expectation or looking forward

Plot plan, conspiracy

Plumage feathers of a bird

Plunder to take goods by force

Plunged (plunge) to dive in and submerge; pushed

Pompously proudly; importantly

Ponderously without liveliness

Porticoes (portico) covered walkway

Principal main, most important

Prominent standing out, of high status

Prophecy a prediction

Prosperous flourishing

Provinces directly-rules region of the Roman Empire

Prosperous flourishing

Prows front end of a roman warship

Pulpit platform for public speaking

~Q~

Quarrel fight

Quarry a hunted animal; prey

Queer strange

Quicksilver mercury; a silver-colored liquid metal

~R~

Ravening greedy, like a predator for food

Ravines deep narrow valleys

Refuge place of shelter

Reign period of rule

Relent to become less severe; to slacken

Reliable dependable; trustworthy

Relish to enjoy

Rendezvous meeting

Reprimanded (reprimand) to scold sharply

Repulsive disgusting

Renounced given up something that was yours

Resentment anger at something; bitterness

Resigned (resign) to give up, leave voluntarily; accepting or unresisting

Resolute determined

Resolved (resolve) decided; planned; made up his mind

Revelry loud merrymaking

Revenge act of getting even

Rhythm a regular pattern of movement

Robust strong and healthy

Romp very lively, carefree play

Rostrum metal figure on prow, resembling a bird’s beak

Rouse to awaken

~S~

Savage ferocious, uncivilized

Scarcity lack, insufficiency

Schemes secret plans meant to harm someone

Scowled frowned and glared

Scudding ragged and swiftly moving

Scornfully with contempt, contemptuously

Scourge to whip; to inflict pain

Seldom rarely

Siege blockade of a city

Seized (seize) to grab

Senate legislative assembly

Severe harsh

Shrill loud high-pitched sound

Simpleton simple-minded person

Sibyls female fortuneteller

Slain (slay) to kill

Sojourn visit; temporary stay

Sole only

Solemn deeply serious and sober

Somber serious and sad

Spick and span very clean

Spoils valuables taken from an enemy in war

Squarely directly; straightforwardly

Standard pole with emblem identifying legion

Statuary statues

Stern strict

Sternly harshly; with severity

Sterns back part of a ship

Stoa Greek: a roofed colonnade or porch

Stolidly in an unemotional manner

Stout resolute; firm

Strenuous tough; active

Stylus tool for writing on wax tablet

Sub Latin: under

Subjugate to subdue, conquer

Sublicae wooden pilings

Submit to give in, surrender to another’s authority

Subsequently afterward

Succession process of replacing one ruler with another

Successor someone who follows

Sulky gloomy

Summoned (summon) to call; to request (someone to come)

Surmount to get over the top of something; to overcome

Suspicion mistrust

Swathe a covering or wrapping

~T~

Tarpaulin protective waterproof covering

Taunted (taunt) to make fun of, tease

Tawny dull yellowish-brown color

Tedium boredom, monotony

Tiers rows of seats

Tirade long angry speech

Thrive to grow and survive heartily

Toga white, woolen, formal attire of noble Romans

Torques Latin: twisted collar

Torrents great amounts

Traitor one who betrays others

Treason act of disloyalty or betrayal toward one’s government

Treacherous marked by betrayal of confidence or trust

Tremulously fearfully; with trembling

Tribunes elected representative of the plebs

Trifle a little bit; small amount

Triumphal in celebration of a victory

Triumvirs members of a 3-man ruling body

Tumult confused and noisy commotion

Tumultuous noisy and violent

Tussle disagreement

Tyrant oppressive ruler; cruel leader

~U~

Unbounded without boundaries, unlimited

~V~

Vague not clear

Valor bravery and boldness

Vanished disappeared

Vantage a spot where the view of something is best

Vassal one who owes allegiance

Vast huge, of great extent

Vengeance retaliation, revenge

Vermin disgusting animal or person

Veto power to prevent the passing of a law; Latin: I forbid

Vexing irritating

Victor winner

Vigil night watch

Vigorously using great energy

Vile disgusting or foul

Vividly with clarity and detail

Volume cylindrical roll of paper or parchment (volumen is Latin for “roll”)

~W~

Wantonly in a way that is unnecessary and without good reason

Wares merchandise; products for sale

Waylaid stopped or intercepted by someone

Wean to withdraw from a habit

Wretchedly miserably

Wryly amused at something contrary or ironic

~X~

~Y~

~Z~