The Return of the King: Book Five: Chapters 7-10

by J.R.R. Tolkien
In the third and final part of The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf, Aragorn, and their companions attempt to defend Minas Tirith from the forces of Sauron, while Sam and Frodo continue their quest to destroy the One Ring.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Book Five: Chapters 1-3, Book Five: Chapters 4-6, Book Five: Chapters 7-10, Book Six: Chapters 1-5, Book Six: Chapters 6-9

Here are links to our lists for other works by J.R.R. Tolkien: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Hobbit
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. renegade
    someone who rebels and becomes an outlaw
    ‘Haste, haste! Do as I have bidden! Slay me this renegade! Or must I do so myself?'
  2. threshold
    the starting point for a new state or experience
    ‘He calls,’ said Gandalf, ‘but you cannot come to him yet. For he must seek healing on the threshold of death, and maybe find it not. Whereas your part is to go out to the battle of your City, where maybe death awaits you. This you know in your heart.’
  3. throes
    violent pangs of suffering
    And for a moment, while all were silent and still, watching the Lord in his throes, he wavered.
  4. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
    With the left hand thou wouldst use me for a little while as a shield against Mordor, and with the right bring up this Ranger of the North to supplant me.
  5. upstart
    a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status
    I will not step down to be the dotard chamberlain of an upstart.
  6. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
    ‘I would have things as they were in all the days of my life,’ answered Denethor, ‘and in the days of my longfathers before me: to be the Lord of this City in peace, and leave my chair to a son after me, who would be his own master and no wizard’s pupil. But if doom denies this to me, then I will have naught: neither life diminished, nor love halved, nor honour abated.’
  7. recreant
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
    ‘Come hither!’ he cried to his servants. ‘Come, if you are not all recreant!’
  8. wrest
    obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically
    Then taking the key that he had wrested from the slain man he closed the door and locked it.
  9. presume
    take liberties or act with too much confidence
    In the days of his wisdom Denethor would not presume to use it to challenge Sauron, knowing the limits of his own strength.
  10. jetsam
    the floating wreckage of a ship
    Already men were labouring to clear a way through the jetsam of battle; and now out from the Gate came some bearing litters.
  11. vigor
    active strength of body or mind
    For that they had found no cure; and indeed the span of their lives had now waned to little more than that of other men, and those among them who passed the tale of five score years with vigour were grown few, save in some houses of purer blood.
  12. baffle
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    But now their art and knowledge were baffled; for there were many sick of a malady that would not be healed; and they called it the Black Shadow, for it came from the Nazgûl.
  13. malady
    impairment of normal physiological function
    And those who were stricken with it fell slowly into an ever deeper dream, and then passed to silence and a deadly cold, and so died. And it seemed to the tenders of the sick that on the Halfling and on the Lady of Rohan this malady lay heavily.
  14. wholesome
    characteristic of physical or moral well-being
    Still it smells sweet when bruised, does it not? If sweet is the right word: wholesome, maybe, is nearer.
  15. staunch
    stop the flow of a liquid
    ‘I drew it forth,’ said Imrahil, ‘and staunched the wound. But I did not keep the arrow, for we had much to do. It was, as I remember, just such a dart as the Southrons use. Yet I believed that it came from the Shadows above, for else his fever and sickness were not to be understood; since the wound was not deep or vital. How then do you read the matter?’
  16. doggerel
    a comic verse of irregular measure
    It is but a doggrel, I fear, garbled in the memory of old wives. Its meaning I leave to your judgement, if indeed it has any.
  17. garbled
    lacking orderly continuity
    It is but a doggrel, I fear, garbled in the memory of old wives. Its meaning I leave to your judgement, if indeed it has any.
  18. infusion
    a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance
    But old folk still use an infusion of the herb for headaches.
  19. cull
    look for and gather
    ‘It is kingsfoil, Sir,’ he said; ‘but not fresh, I fear. It must have been culled two weeks ago at the least. I hope it will serve, Sir?’
  20. ignoble
    dishonorable in character or purpose
    Yet she was doomed to wait upon an old man, whom she loved as a father, and watch him falling into a mean dishonoured dotage; and her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff he leaned on.
  21. vulgar
    of or associated with the great masses of people
    And he will tell you that he did not know that the herb you desire had any virtues, but that it is called westmansweed by the vulgar, and galenas by the noble, and other names in other tongues more learned...
  22. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
    ‘It is ever so with the things that Men begin: there is a frost in Spring, or a blight in Summer, and they fail of their promise.’
  23. frail
    physically weak
    ‘I will tell you enough for your peace; for I felt not the horror, and I feared not the shadows of Men, powerless and frail as I deemed them.’
  24. suffice
    be adequate, either in quality or quantity
    Hardly has our strength sufficed to beat off the first great assault. The next will be greater. This war then is without final hope, as Denethor perceived.
  25. emissary
    someone sent to represent another's interests
    Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary.
  26. ravaged
    having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence
    Now, it may be that we shall triumph, and while there is any hope of this, Gondor must be protected. I would not have us return with victory to a City in ruins and a land ravaged behind us.
  27. harried
    troubled persistently, especially with petty annoyances
    The host of Orcs and Easterlings had turned back out of Anórien, but harried and scattered by the Rohirrim they had broken and fled with little fighting towards Cair Andros; and with that threat destroyed and new strength arriving out of the South the City was as well manned as might be.
  28. fanfare
    a short lively tune played on brass instruments
    Then Aragorn set trumpeters at each of the four roads that ran into the ring of trees, and they blew a great fanfare, and the heralds cried aloud: ‘The Lords of Gondor have returned and all this land that is theirs they take back.’
  29. pare
    cut small bits from
    The hideous orc-head that was set upon the carven figure was cast down and broken in pieces, and the old king’s head was raised and set in its place once more, still crowned with white and golden flowers; and men laboured to wash and pare away all the foul scrawls that orcs had put upon the stone.
  30. feint
    any distracting or deceptive maneuver
    ‘It is but a feint,’ said Aragorn; ‘and its chief purpose, I deem, was rather to draw us on by a false guess of our Enemy’s weakness than to do us much hurt, yet.’
  31. defile
    a narrow pass (especially one between mountains)
    Yet they knew that all the hills and rocks about the Morannon were filled with hidden foes, and the shadowy defile beyond was bored and tunnelled by teeming broods of evil things.
  32. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    Yet they knew that all the hills and rocks about the Morannon were filled with hidden foes, and the shadowy defile beyond was bored and tunnelled by teeming broods of evil things.
  33. atone
    make amends for
    ‘Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Justice shall be done upon him. For wrongfully he has made war upon Gondor and wrested its lands. Therefore the King of Gondor demands that he should atone for his evils, and depart then for ever. Come forth!’
  34. enamored
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    But it is told that he was a renegade, who came of the race of those that are named the Black Númenoreans; for they established their dwellings in Middle-earth during the years of Sauron’s domination, and they worshipped him, being enamoured of evil knowledge.
  35. imp
    (folklore) a small fairy-like creature that is somewhat mischievous
    ‘So you have yet another of these imps with you!’ he cried.
  36. tributary
    paying money, as for protection
    West of the Anduin as far as the Misty Mountains and the Gap of Rohan shall be tributary to Mordor, and men there shall bear no weapons, but shall have leave to govern their own affairs.
  37. clemency
    leniency and compassion shown toward offenders
    If you sue for his clemency you must first do his bidding. These are his terms. Take them or leave them!
  38. recoil
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Before his upraised hand the foul Messenger recoiled, and Gandalf coming seized and took from him the tokens: coat, cloak, and sword.
  39. sluice
    conduit that carries a rapid flow of water
    Out of it streamed a great host as swiftly as swirling waters when a sluice is lifted.
  40. jeer
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    The Captains mounted again and rode back, and from the host of Mordor there went up a jeering yell.
Created on Tue Feb 13 10:20:43 EST 2018 (updated Wed Feb 21 13:54:28 EST 2018)

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