Language Arts > Vocabulary for Winning His Spurs, by G. A. Henty
Winning His Spurs is about the Third Crusade, which lasted from 1188-1192. This crusade was the attempt of the allied efforts of King Phillip of France, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire, and King Richard of England to recapture Jerusalem from the Turkish ruler Saladin.
Here are vocabulary words for each chapter:
Chapter 1:
| jerkin |
a tight sleeveless and collarless jacket (often made of leather) worn by men in former times |
| feu |
land held in feudal tenure |
| retainers |
a person working in the service of another |
| gossip |
close friend or confidant |
| jovial |
cheerful |
| enterprise |
undertaking |
| purport |
purpose |
| soused |
drenched |
| harry |
harass |
| don |
to put on |
| temperate |
calm, easy-going |
| mum |
quiet |
| portal |
doorway |
| ward |
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another |
| cavalcade |
procession |
| liegeman |
a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord |
| fiefs |
inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a lord to a vassal in return for a form of allegiance |
| greensward |
land that is green with grass |
| malice |
ill feelings |
| surmise |
guess |
| ensconced |
settled comfortably |
| palfrey |
a small horse for women to ride |
Chapter 2:
| calamity |
disaster |
| recess |
alcove |
| marauders |
raiders |
| traversed |
traveled over or through |
| perpetrate |
to be responsible for |
| raze |
to demolish |
| rendezvous |
a prearranged meeting place |
| injunction |
command |
| stigmatized |
characterized or branded as disgraceful |
| rivulet |
a small brook or stream |
| impetuosity |
impulsiveness |
For a link to a crossword puzzles for chapters 1 and 2, click here.
Chapter 3:
| mason |
a craftsman who works with stone or brick |
| franklin |
a landowner who was free but not of noble birth |
| sortie |
a sudden attack on besiegers by troops from a defensive work |
| copse |
a dense growth of bushes |
| diversion |
distraction |
| commence |
begin |
| arras |
tapestry |
| mangonel |
catapult |
| cuirass |
a piece of armor worn to protect the chest; a breast-plate |
| feint |
pretense |
Chapter 4:
| rendered |
given |
| stigma |
shame |
| holy sepulcher |
the tomb in which Christ's body lay between burial and resurrection |
| infidel |
heathen |
| wrest |
seize forcibly |
| scourge |
plague |
| ambuscade |
ambush |
| capitulate |
surrender |
| vagrants |
one who has no permanent home or means of livelihood |
| chaplain |
a clergyman |
| eloquence |
powerful and effective language |
Chapter 5:
| sanctity |
holiness |
| tranquil |
calm |
| desecration |
an act of disrespect or impiety towards something considered sacred |
| harangued |
addressed forcefully |
| conquest |
success in mastering something difficult |
| gesticulations |
vigorous gestures |
| contingent |
a military unit |
| importunities |
constant pleading |
| picturesque |
pictorial |
| prowess |
aptitude |
| troubadour |
composer and performer |
| caparisoned |
clothed in finery |
Chapter 6:
| courtiers |
attendants at the court of a sovereign |
| dais |
a raised platform |
| unbridled |
not restrained or controlled |
| innuendos |
indirect suggestions, or implied meanings |
| aught |
nothing |
| casque |
an ornate helmet without a visor |
| wager |
bet |
| baulk |
resist: refuse to comply |
| antagonist |
adversary |
| paroxysm |
a sudden uncontrollable attack |
| pursuivant |
herald |
| accolade |
the ceremony by which one was dubbed a knight in medieval times |
Chapter 7:
| plaudits |
enthusiastic approval |
| doughty |
brave, courageous and stouthearted |
| confréres |
fellow-members |
| stringent |
strict |
| peremptory |
not allowing contradiction or refusal |
| pertinacity |
persistent determination |
| truculent |
defiantly aggressive |
| acolyte |
person who assists the priest at service |
| sacristan |
a person responsible for the ceremonial equipment in a church |
| stalwart |
hefty |
Chapter 8:
| largess |
a gift or money given either for service or out of benevolence |
| vocation |
calling |
| contingent |
a military unit |
| bulwarks |
a fence-like structure around a deck |
| subaltern |
a subordinate officer |
| purgatory |
in Catholicism, the stage of the afterlife where souls suffer for their sins before they can enter heaven |
| tempests |
storms |
| palpable |
obvious |
| cavalier |
a mounted soldier; a knight |
| ponderous |
weighty |
Chapter 9:
| crave |
to beg or plead for |
| fancies |
whims |
| poniard |
a dagger with a slender blade |
| brook |
put up with |
| whelps |
the young of a mammal |
| discredit |
damage the reputation of |
| reconnoiter |
explore |
| sagacity |
level-headedness |
| feign |
pretend |
| staunchly |
loyally |
Chapter 10:
| affianced |
betrothed |
| formidable |
fearsome |
| solicitation |
an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status |
| pennons |
flags |
| standard |
a distinctive flag |
| smote |
inflicted a heavy blow on |
| minaret |
the tall slender tower of an Islamic mosque |
| corsairs |
a swift pirate ship |
| ballista |
artillery weapon discharging arrows and stone balls |
| grapnel |
a tool consisting of several hooks for grasping and holding which is often thrown with a rope |
| strait |
distressing situation |
| alacrity |
eagerness |
Chapter 11:
| masquerading |
making a false outward show |
| stratagem |
trick |
| requisition |
an authoritative request or demand for official services |
| indemnity |
protection against future loss |
| effeminate |
having unsuitable feminine qualities |
| solemnized |
performed with proper ceremonies |
| entrenchments |
Trenches dug out of the earth with the dirt piled up into a mound in front which are used for defense |
| consternation |
dismay |
| sullied |
tarnished |
| stipulated |
predetermined |
| requisite |
necessary |
Chapter 12:
| discordant |
not in harmony |
| scimitars |
a sword with a curved blade |
| impetuosity |
rashness |
| onslaught |
attack |
| prodigies |
amazing examples of something |
| extricate |
remove |
| annihilation |
total destruction |
| mace |
a clublike armor-breaking weapon of war, often with a flanged or spiked metal head, used chiefly in the Middle Ages |
| punctilious |
extremely strict and meticulous |
| escutcheon |
a shield or shield-like surface on which a coat of arms is depicted |
Chapter 13:
| fray |
fight |
| adrift |
free |
| prodigious |
extraordinary |
| billmen |
a soldier armed with a bill or polearm |
| hough |
to hamstring a horse, making it useless |
| emir |
a prince, commander or other leader in an Islamic nation |
| imprecation |
a curse |
| talisman |
a charm |
| copious |
abundant |
| obeisance |
bow |
Chapter 14:
| connived |
schemed |
| inkling |
hint |
| burnous |
a long, hooded cloak |
| ingratiate |
working to please someone to gain their favor |
| repasts |
meals |
| aperture |
opening |
| precipitously |
abruptly |
| abstract |
to pilfer or steal |
| buoyancy |
water's ability to support weight |
| grotto |
cave |
Chapter 15:
| effected |
achieved |
| carousals |
noisy parties involving feasting and drinking |
| riotous |
uncontrolled |
| valise |
bag |
| effusions |
expressions of emotion |
| enterprise |
venture |
| bereaved |
in a state of having lost someone or something |
| parricide |
one who has murdered a close relative or parent |
| expiate |
to atone for |
| repose |
rest |
Chapter 16:
| accosted |
addressed or confronted |
| betaken |
taken |
| smote |
hit |
| superciliously |
in a sneering or condescending manner |
| derogation |
belittling or putting down |
| knight-errant |
a wandering knight searching for adventure and opportunities to display chivalry |
| embarkation |
the boarding of a ship |
| tarried |
hesitated |
| succor |
assistance in time of need |
| boon |
favor |
| sneeringly |
contemptuously |
Chapter 17:
| slight |
small |
| borne |
carried |
| plight |
dilemma |
| potentate |
ruler |
| scruples |
conscience |
| bestir |
to become active |
| nought |
nothing |
| plenteously |
abundantly |
| amphitheatre |
An open, outdoor theater with tiers of seats |
| gorget |
armor, usually made of steel or leather, to protect the neck |
| specters |
ghosts |
Chapter 18:
| entreaties |
earnest requests or begging |
| greaves |
a plate of armor that protects the legs below the knee |
| deluge |
an overwhelming downpour |
| phenomenon |
an unusual event |
| catastrophe |
disaster |
| indolence |
laziness |
| disabuse |
to free someone from a misguided notion |
| hostelry |
an inn |
| burghers |
a member of the middle class |
| expiate |
compensate, or make up for |
Chapter 19:
| audacious |
fearlessly daring |
| manifest |
apparent |
| strait |
difficult situation |
| provender |
food, usually for livestock |
| blithely |
merrily |
| pantomime |
to act out without using words |
| weasands |
throats |
| tidings |
news |
| allege |
claim |
| bruited |
rumored |
Chapter 20:
| recreant |
one who is cowardly or who has deserted a cause |
| rapacious |
greedy |
| prelate |
a senior member of the clergy |
| flagons |
a large pitcher used for drink |
| intriguing |
plotting |
| convenable |
suitable |
| embroil |
involve |
| stoup |
a drinking vessel |
| cognizance |
awareness |
| myrmidon |
one who carries out cruel orders without question |
Chapter 21:
| minion |
a fawning dependant |
| espousal |
marriage ceremony |
| usurper |
pretender |
| annul |
to revoke or declare invalid |
| dexterous |
skillful |
| sequestrated |
set apart from others |
| claimant |
one who claims a title |
| burgess |
freeman, or citizen |
| averments |
assertions |
| ruse |
trick |
| calumnious |
slanderous; falsely accusing |
| missive |
written message |
| succor |
help |
| potentate |
one in supreme power, such as a dictator |
Chapter 22:
| redress |
compensation |
| contumacious |
willful and disobedient |
| cognizance |
awareness |
| durance |
a long imprisonment |
| impost |
fine or tariff that is imposed |
| pursuivant |
a herald |
| hauteur |
haughtiness or arrogance |
| parley |
a discussion between enemies |
| perjured |
one guilty of giving false testimony |
| sortie |
a sudden attack on the besiegers by the besieged |
Chapter 23:
| portcullis |
a heavy wooden or metal gate, in the form of a grating, that closed an entrance to a castle |
| mercenaries |
professional soldiers hired by a foreign army |
| sardonically |
disdainfully |
| farce |
charade |
| casque |
an ornate, visorless helmet |
| fray |
fight |
| franklin |
a free landowner |
| acuteness |
intelligence |
| anathema |
loathing |
| vacillating |
wavering or irresolute |
Chapter 24:
| garrison |
a fortified post in which troops are stationed |
| encumbrance |
a burden |
| asunder |
apart; in different directions |
| quarter |
mercy from an opponent |
| cognizance |
awareness |
| mangonels |
a military engine used during the middle ages to hurl stones |
| bower |
a woman's private chamber in a castle |
| testudo |
a movable protective covering that provided protection from above |
| arbalest |
a very strong crossbow that had a mechanical winding system and a bow made out of steel |
Chapter 25:
| rapacity |
excessively greedy |
| renown |
fame |
| rendezvous |
meeting place |
| lays |
melodies |
| guise |
disguise |
| variance |
disagreement |
| repast |
meal |
| declivities |
downward slope |
| fortalices |
small fortresses |
| bivouacked |
camped |
Chapter 26:
| vicegerents |
someone appointed by a ruler to act as a deputy |
| adherents |
followers |
| prelate |
a high-ranking member of the clergy |
| retinue |
the group attending to someone of importance |
| envoy |
someone sent on a mission to represent the interests another |
| scourge |
something causing misery |
| mark |
a unit of currency |
| visages |
facial expression |
| probity |
honesty |
| adduced |
attested to |
