The Thirty-Nine Steps (23 page)

casement
NOUN
casement is a word meaning window. The teacher in Nicholas Nickleby misspells window
showing what a bad teacher he is
W-i-n, win, d-e-r, der, winder, a casement.’
(
Nicholas Nickleby
by Charles Dickens)

cataleptic
ADJ
a cataleptic fit is one in which the victim goes into a trancelike state and remains
still for a long time
It was at this point in their history that Silas’s cataleptic fit occurred during
the prayer-meeting
(
Silas Marner
by George Eliot)

cauldron
NOUN
a cauldron is a large cooking pot made of metal
stirring a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup
(
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll)

cephalic
ADJ
cephalic means to do with the head
with ink composed of a cephalic tincture
(
Gulliver’s Travels
by Jonathan Swift)

chaise and four
NOUN
a closed four-wheel carriage pulled by four horses
he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place
(
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen)

chamberlain
NOUN
the main servant in a household
In those times a bed was always to be got there at any hour of the night, and the
chamberlain, letting me in at his ready wicket, lighted the candle next in order on
his shelf
(
Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens)

characters
NOUN
distinguishing marks
Impressed upon all forms the characters
(
The Prelude
by William Wordsworth)

chary
ADJ
cautious
I should have been chary of discussing my guardian too freely even with her
(
Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens)

cherishes
VERB
here cherishes means cheers or brightens
some philosophic song of Truth that cherishes our daily life
(
The Prelude
by William Wordsworth)

chickens’ meat
PHRASE
chickens’ meat is an old term which means chickens’ feed or food
I had shook a bag of chickens’ meat out in that place
(
Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel Defoe)

chimeras
NOUN
a chimera is an unrealistic idea or a wish which is unlikely to be fulfilled
with many other wild impossible chimeras
(
Gulliver’s Travels
by Jonathan Swift)

chines
NOUN
chine is a cut of meat that includes part or all of the backbone of the animal
and they found hams and chines uncut
(
Silas Marner
by George Eliot)