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impassable
incapable of being gone across or through
Four weeks' torture, tossing and sickness! Oh, these bleak winds and bitter, northern skies, and
impassable roads, and dilatory country surgeons!
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dilatory
wasting time
Four weeks' torture, tossing and sickness! Oh, these bleak winds and bitter, northern skies, and impassable roads, and
dilatory country surgeons!
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scoundrel
someone who does evil deliberately
Scoundrel! He is not altogether guiltless in this illness of mine; and that I had a great mind to tell him.
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phalanx
a body of troops in close array
Keep your fingers from that bitter
phalanx of vials.
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imperious
having or showing arrogant superiority
He concealed it from her; but if ever he heard me answer sharply, or saw any other servant grow cloudy at some
imperious order of hers, he would show his trouble by a frown of displeasure that never darkened on his own account.
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vexed
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
He many a time spoke sternly to me about my pertness, and averred that the stab of a knife could not inflict a worse pang than he suffered at seeing his lady
vexed.
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ascribe
attribute or credit to
Catherine had seasons of gloom and silence now and then; they were respected with sympathizing silence by her husband, who
ascribed them to an alteration in her constitution, produced by her perilous illness, as she was never subject to depression of spirits before.
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sallow
unhealthy looking
A ray fell on his features; the cheeks were
sallow and half covered with black whiskers, the brows lowering, the eyes deep-set and singular.
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calamity
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
Ere long I heard the click of the latch, and Catherine flew upstairs, breathless and wild, too excited to show gladness; indeed, by her face, you would rather have surmised an awful
calamity.
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droll
comical in an odd or whimsical manner
Mrs. Linton eyed him with a
droll expression--half angry, half laughing, at his fastidiousness.
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gentry
the most powerful members of a society
Set two tables here, Ellen--one for your master and Miss Isabella, being
gentry; the other for Heathcliff and myself, being of the lower orders.
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degradation
a low or downcast state
His countenance was much older in expression and decision of feature than Mr. Linton's; it looked intelligent, and retained no marks of former
degradation.
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petulance
an irritable feeling
If that creature knew how bitter, he'd be ashamed to cloud its removal with idle
petulance.
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exuberance
joyful enthusiasm
Mr. Linton had not only abjured his peevishness (though his spirits seemed still subdued by Catherine's
exuberance of vivacity), but he ventured no objection to her taking Isabella with her to Wuthering Heights in the afternoon.
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covet
wish, long, or crave for
It is impossible that you can
covet the admiration of Heathcliff--that you consider him an agreeable person!
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deplorable
bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
It is
deplorable ignorance of his character, child, and nothing else, which makes that dream enter your head.
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avarice
extreme greed for material wealth
Avarice is growing with him a besetting sin.
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blighted
affected by something that prevents growth or prosperity
She has
blighted my single consolation.
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knave
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
Up at sundown; dice, brandy, cloised shutters, un can'le-light till next day at noon; then, t' fooil gangs banning un raving to his cham'er, makking dacent fowks dig thur fingers i' thur lugs fur varry shame; un the
knave, why he can caint his brass, un ate, un sleep, un off to his neighbour's to gossip wi' t' wife.
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mawkish
effusively or insincerely emotional
You'd hear of odd things if I lived alone with that
mawkish, waxen face.
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cleave
stick or hold together and resist separation
My heart invariably
cleaved to the master's, in preference to Catherine's side--with reason, I imagined, for he was kind, and trustful, and honourable; and she--she could not be called the opposite, yet she seemed to allow herself such wide latitude that I had little faith in her principles, and still less sympathy for her feelings.
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propitiate
make peace with
Fit to cry, I took an orange from my pocket, and offered it to
propitiate him.
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approbation
official recognition or approval
"He might spare himself the trouble," said Heathcliff; "I could do as well without his
approbation.
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hovel
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
Having levelled my palace, don't erect a
hovel and complacently admire your own charity in giving me that for a home.
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ignominious
deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
Three minutes' delay will render it involuntary and
ignominious."
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bludgeon
a club used as a weapon
Each has a
bludgeon; and master will very likely be watching from the parlour windows, to see that they fulfil his orders."
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compunction
a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
Mr. Linton stood looking at her in sudden
compunction and fear.
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paroxysm
a sudden uncontrollable attack
My late anguish was swallowed in a
paroxysm of despair.
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obviate
prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
To
obviate the fatigue of mounting and descending the stairs, we fitted up this, where you lie at present, on the same floor with the parlour; and she was soon strong enough to move from one to the other, leaning on Edgar's arm.
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redound
contribute
He did it with a courtesy that
redounded to his credit.
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perspicacity
intelligence manifested by being astute
It was a marvellous effort of
perspicacity to discover that I did not love her.
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abject
most unfortunate or miserable
Tell your master, Nelly, that I never, in all my life, met with such an
abject thing as she is.
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quiescence
a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction
If Edgar Linton meets me I shall not hesitate to knock him down, and give him enough to assure his
quiescence while I stay.
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insipid
lacking interest or significance or impact
And that
insipid, paltry creature attending her former duty and humanity, from pity and charity!
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iteration
doing or saying again
And then I remembered Mr. Edgar's stern rebuke of my carrying tales, and I tried to smooth away all disquietude on the subject by affirming, with frequent
iteration, that that betrayal of trust, if it merited so harsh an appellation, should be the last.