adder: a venomous snake
agate: dwarf, midget (as of a tiny figure carved in an agate-seal)
alacrity: A cheerful or eager readiness or willingness, often manifested by brisk,
lively action or promptness in response
ambuscado: ambush
anatomized: dissected
anatomy: skeleton, skin and bones
angels: in this instance, a gold coin
baffle: deride, degrade (a technical, chivalric term, used to describe the disgrace of a perjured knight)
banns: notice of a marriage contract proclaimed in the church
barrow: a cart for carrying small loads; has handles and one or more wheels
basilisk: mythical serpent which killed with its look
basis: base, foot, foundation
bate: in this instance, a term in falconry meaning beat the wings, flutter
bawd: pimp, procurer, pander, go-beween
bell-wether: a male castrated sheep which leads the sheep with a bell on his neck, i.e. a cuckold
bench: governing body, court of justice
bias: tendency
bilbo: a sword, from Bilboa, Spain - noted for its flexibilty
bladders: in this instance, an air-filled bag
blench: to start (hence - to fly off, to be inconstant)
bodkin: a dagger
bolster: a cushion
bombard: a large leather wine-jug
bower: arbour, leafy glade
brand: a burning piece of wood
brake: bush, thicket
caliver: a type of lightweight musket
carrion: dead or rotting flesh, skeleton (in this case - a skull)
casque: head-piece, helmet
cerecloth: waxed linen, a shroud for dead bodies
chair-days: old-age, days for resting in a chair
chaff: the husks of corn separated by thrashing
champain: open country
Chanticleer: a rooster
choughs: a member of the crow family living in Europe and English isles -
in this instance, the fools who are attentive to him like crows eating chaff
cinders of the element: in this instance, Falstaff refers to stars as mere flaming embers
close: in this instance, (as an adjective), shut fast, so as to have no opening
cloy: satiate, gorge, satisfy
cockled: having a shell
coloquintida: The light spongy pulp of the fruit of the bitter cucumber
(Citrullus, or Cucumis, colocynthis), an Asiatic plant allied to the
watermelon; It comes in white balls, is intensely bitter, and a
powerful cathartic. Called also bitter apple, bitter cucumber, bitter gourd.
Commodity: in this instance, self-interest, desire for gain, expediency
composition: in this instance, compact, accord, agreement
compound: to make, to constitute
confute: to refute, to disprove, contradict
continent: in this instance, container, receptacle, enclosure
coward: in this instance, Troilus is referring to Achilles, the Greek warrior who killed Hector
crudy: curdy, think, congealed
dam: contemptuous name for a mother
debosh'd: corrupted, depraved
degree: in this instance, rank
deracinate: uproot, pluck up, eradicate
descant: to comment on
dewlap: folds of loose skin hanging about the neck
detraction: slander, speaking ill, defamation
doit: trivial sum, worthless amount, a trifle - (small Dutch coin - half an English farthing)
doublet: close-fitting jacket with short skirt, worn by men
drab: harlot, slut, whore
draff: pig-swill, refuse, garbage
dropsied: puffed up, turgid, pretentious
dross: refuse, worthless matter
dry: In Elizabethan times, a dry brain was considered strong in memory but slow in apprehension
dudgeon: the handle of a dagger
Dutch dish: a dish made in Holland
effusion: spilling, shedding, pouring out
eld: old age
elflocks: hair treated by elves or fairies, matted hair
employment: in this instance, work, business
face-royal: majestic face, face like a king
fardel: burden, load, bundle
farthingale: hooped petticoat
fell: in this instance, skin, hide
fig: used to denote a contemptible trifle
foppery: folly, foolishness, stupidity
fork: forked tongue
foundered: make lame, cause to break down
fowler: bird hunter
G: the seventh letter in the alphabet - i.e. the seventh heir of Edward
gaberdine: a long and loose outer garment
galls: bitterness of mind, rancor
gibbet: gallows
gird: mock, taunt, laugh
gobbets: a mouthful, a small piece (of flesh)
green-sickness: a type of illness supposed to affect lovesick young women
groundling: a spectator in the pit of the theater
grub: maggot, worm
gurnet: fish - 'tub gunard' - species is found all around the coasts
of Britain and Ireland and is a relatively uncommon fish
gyves: chains, manacles, shackles
haggard: wild hawk
heady-rash: hasty-headed, full of reckless thoughts
healths: toast, salutation in drink
hinds: a boor, rustic, peasant
holp: past form of help
humours: mood, disposition, frame of mind, tempermant
hurly: commotion, uproar, turmoil
hyssop: a European mint with aromatic and pungent leaves used in perfumery
and as a seasoning in cookery; often cultivated as a remedy for bruises
impressure: mark made by pressure, impression
increase: progeny, offspring
indifferency: impartiality, moderation
inductions: intial step, preparation
insisture: persistency, constancy
Jack o' the clock: a figure of a man who strikes the bell in old clocks
jade: trick (as an unruly horse might do)
John-a-dreams: a dreamer, idle muser
joiner: a maker of wooden furniture
juvenal: a youth, young man
kine: cattle, cows
kites: a bird of prey, thieving bird, (of ill-omen)
lenity: mildness, gentleness, mercifulness
locusts: mentioned here as something of a very sweet taste, perhaps
from its being placed together with wild honey in Matthew III, 4
loff: another way to spell laugh
lour'd: frown, scowl, look dark and threatening
mandrake: in this instance, noisy growth, dwarf
mechanicals: manual workers, craftsmen, menials
mew'd: coop up, to shut up, to confine
micher: one who skulks, or keeps out of sight; hence, a truant; an idler; a thief, etc.
mickle: great, much, large
moon-shine: = month
motley: the distinctive multi-colored dress of a fool
mountebank: quack, charlatan, travelling drug-seller
mummy: a carcass, dead flesh
nails: in this instance, fingernails
never spit white: 'never have another drink'
needle: a monosyllable (pronounced neeld or neele)
neeze: sneeze
nowl: middle english for head - sometimes spelled nole
odds: inequality
offal: waste meat, the parts of a butchered animal not fit for use
office: in this instance, role, position, place, function
oppugnancy: opposition, conflict, contention
orthographer: speaker of high-flown phrases, stylistically polished person
osier: made of willow
ostler: person who cares for horses at an inn
pack: a bundle tied up, a bale
pack'd: in league, acting as an accomplice
pantaloon: an enfeebled old man
pard: panther, leopard
particular ballad: a broadside proclaiming his exploits
particularities: personal matters, individual issues
pasty: a meat pie
patches: fools, clowns, knaves, rogues
pate: the head, used in contempt or in ridicule
peck: a quarter of a bushel (i.e. something small in relation to a bilbo)
peized: poise, balance, keep in equilibrium
pettitoes: feet, in contempt (originally the feet of pigs as food)
pitch: a thick black substance made by boiling down tar,
symbol of moral pollution, proverbially defiling
placket: petticoat, apron
plat: to braid
poke: pouch or pocket
point-devise: correct to the letter, precise
politic: dealing with state affairs
politicly: strategically, shrewdly
pomander: a ball composed of perfumes
Poor-John: a coarse kind of fish that is salted and dried
prodigious: a malapropism for 'prodigal'
postern: entrance, side gate, back door
posts: in this instance, post horses
press: (noun) - a commission to force men into military service
(verb) - to force into military service
pride: in this instance, prime
primogeniture: right of inheritance due to the first-born child
proportion: a malapropism for 'portion, allotment.'
purpose-changer: one who makes people change their minds
pusillanimity: cowardliness, timidity, fearfulness
quietus: discharge, final settlement of an account, release
quire: another way to spell choir
ragged: in this instance, rough hewn, dilapidated, rugged
rail: rant, rave, be abusive
rated: to chide
rheum: head cold, coughing and sputtering
riggish: wanton, lewd, unchaste
rind: the skin of vegetables, bark, husk
ringlets: fairy dance in a ring, circular dance
rounded: in this instance, whisper, murmur, speak privately
russet-pated choughs: red-headed 'crows' - see 'choughs' above
sack: the generic name for Spanish wines
scruples: introspective doubt
scullion: menial, lackey, domestic servant
scutcheon: a shield; especially one displaying a coat of arms
senseless of the bob: insensible to the taunt - better to be appear indifferent in the face of satire
sequestration: separation, seclusion
serpigo: a type of spreading skin disease
sherri-sack: same as sack
singularity: in this instance, cultivate singular and eccentric behavior
slighted: to treat as insignificant, to put off with contempt - (in this instance) - 'threw me heedlessly'
slily: same as slyly
slough: in this instance, the skin of a snake, and therefore, former humble manner
soused: preserved, pickled
spur: root of a tree, main root
stick: to hesitate, to think twice
suffer: bear, endure, stand
suffers under probation: in this instance, does not hold up to examination
suit: a pun - meaning both a request and a suit of clothes
supersubtle: extra-refined, specially delicate
tailor: in this instance, meaning unclear - suggested by A. Schmidt that it was custom to call out 'tailor!' when falling backwards
tang: in this instance, ring out, utter resoundingly
tapster: inn waiter, drawer of ale
tent: probe, explore, investigate
toasts-and-butter: milksop, wimp, pampered individual
Tom o' Bedlam: the common name for beggars, either mad or pretending to be
translated: transformed, changed, altered
treacher: traitor, deceiver, cheat
trencher: wooden dish or plate
trumpery: fancy garments, showy rubbish and trifles, worthless finery
tut: interjection expressing contempt of what has been said by another
up and down: exactly
vail: lower, bow down, cast down (as in submission)
vaward: vanguard, foremost division
vild: vile
vizarded: masked, visored, disguised
wags: a fellow, a lad, a mischievous boy
wand: rod, staff
watches: in this instance, the marks of the minutes on a dial-plate
whoobub: hubbub, an outcry, a clamour
wood: mad, distarught (with punning allusion to a wooden shoe)
word: in this instance, word of God, scripture
wot: (used only in the present tense) to know
yarely: quickly, briskly, lively
yielder: one who gives up, conceder