Old English Words

Patricia P. (United States of America)
Old English words

lickerish
41 words 1,017 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions on each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real-time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bedight
    decorate
  2. besmirch
    smear so as to make dirty or stained
  3. bight
    a bend or curve (especially in a coastline)
  4. brine
    a strong solution of salt and water used for pickling
  5. bushel
    a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches
  6. ditty
    a short simple song
  7. dray
    a low heavy horse cart without sides; used for haulage
  8. erstwhile
    belonging to some prior time
  9. forsooth
    certainly; indeed (now often used ironically)
  10. heir
    a person entitled by law to inherit the estate of another
  11. hither
    to this place
    **added
  12. mizzen
    fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast
    Middle English - comes from latin medianus
  13. ness
    a strip of land projecting into a body of water
  14. oft
    many times at short intervals
  15. pannikin
    a small pan or cup (usually of tin)
  16. scaup
    diving ducks of North America having a bluish-grey bill
  17. soothsayer
    someone who makes predictions of the future
  18. stalwart
    having rugged physical strength
  19. swain
    a young male suitor
  20. thither
    to or toward that place; away from the speaker
  21. thwart
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
  22. weir
    a low dam built across a stream to raise its level or divert its flow
  23. whence
    from what place, source, or cause
  24. wight
    a human being; `wight' is an archaic term
    archaic term for human
  25. withy
    strong flexible twig
  26. sleight
    adroitness in using the hands
  27. tithe
    a levy of one tenth of something
  28. quench
    satisfy, as thirst
  29. betroth
    give to in marriage
  30. piddock
    marine bivalve that bores into rock or clay or wood by means of saw-like shells
  31. liverish
    suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress
  32. banshee
    a female spirit who wails to warn of impending death
  33. plenty
    a full supply
  34. forswear
    formally reject or disavow
  35. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
  36. shriveled
    (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture
  37. flighty
    guided by whim and fancy
  38. trumpery
    ornamental objects of no great value
  39. touchstone
    a basis for comparison
  40. forswear
    formally reject or disavow
  41. Beowulf
    the legendary hero of an anonymous Old English epic poem composed in the early 8th century; he slays a monster and becomes king but dies fighting a dragon
Created on June 9, 2009 (updated February 25, 2011)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.