Word origins

• speltA grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.
• mouthfulThe amount that will fit in a mouth.
• drivelNonsense; senseless talk.
• BlandfordA surname.
• unwiseNot wise; lacking wisdom
• allegoryThe use of symbols which may be interpreted to reveal a hidden, broader message, usually a moral or political one, about real-world issues and occurrences; also, the interpretation of such symbols.
• stifleTo make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.
• devourTo eat quickly, greedily, hungrily, or ravenously.
• treacheryDeliberate, often calculated, disregard for trust or faith.
• portraitureA portrait; a likeness; a painted resemblance; hence, that which is copied from some example or model.
• opeAn exclamation of surprise; oops.
• undercutA cut made in the lower part of something; the material so removed.
• warringengaged in war; belligerent
• frightenTo cause to feel fear; to scare; to cause to feel alarm or fright.
• haulerA person or thing that hauls another person or thing.
• subtletyThe quality of being scarcely noticeable or difficult to discern. (of things)
• delicacyThe quality of being delicate.
• blissfulExtremely happy; full of joy; experiencing, indicating, causing, or characterized by bliss.
• afieldAway (from the home or starting point, physical or conceptual). (Often preceded by far, farther, or further.)
• mishapAn accident, mistake, or problem.
• inquestA formal investigation, often held before a jury, especially one into the cause of a death
• snipeAny of various limicoline game birds of the genera Gallinago, Lymnocryptes and Coenocorypha in the family Scolopacidae, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak.
• metropoleA metropolis; the main city of a country or area.
• ablyIn an able manner; with great ability.
• ailTo cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.)
• innkeeperThe person responsible for the running of an inn, usually the proprietor.
• mistrustLack of trust or confidence; distrust, untrust.
• lordshipThe state or condition of being a lord.
• reddTo free from entanglement.
• lardFat from the abdomen of a pig, especially as prepared for use in cooking or pharmacy.
• destituteLacking something; devoid.
• singlyIn a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion.
• headlessSynonym of decapitated.
• thaneA rank of nobility in pre-Norman England, roughly equivalent to baron.
• salveAn ointment, cream, or balm with soothing, healing, or calming effects.
• BeauchampThe name of several places in Northern France
• fissureA long, narrow crack or opening made by breaking or splitting, especially in rock or earth.
• transomA crosspiece over a door; a lintel.
• talkerA person who talks, especially one who gives a speech, or is loquacious or garrulous.
• bestowTo apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.
• LiddellA surname.
• enragedAngered, made furious, made full of rage.
• friarA member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
• tatteredRent in tatters, torn, hanging in rags; ragged.
• clemencyThe gentle or kind exercise of power; leniency, mercy; compassion in judging or punishing.
• blemishA small flaw which spoils the appearance of something, a stain, a spot.
• rindTree bark.
• perpetuallySeeming to never end; endlessly; constantly.
• divisibleCapable of being divided or split.
• lightnessthe condition of being illuminated
• harbingerA person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something.
• burlA tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner; a burr knot.
• beakerA flat-bottomed, straight-sided, glass vessel, with a lip and often a small spout, used as a laboratory container.
• childbearingThe process of giving birth; pregnancy and parturition.
• minotaurAnything resembling the Greek monster, whether by appearance or by strength.
• quiverA container for arrows, crossbow bolts or darts, such as those fired from a bow, crossbow or blowgun.
• wieldTo handle with skill and ease, especially a weapon or tool.
• conjureTo perform magic tricks.
• roteMechanical routine; a fixed, habitual, repetitive, or mechanical course of procedure.
• morelA true morel; any of several fungi in the genus Morchella, the upper part of which is covered with a reticulated and pitted hymenium.
• budgeTo move; to be shifted from a fixed position.
• ilkVery; same.
• fringedPossessing a fringe.
• kneelTo rest on one's bent knees, sometimes only one; to move to such a position.
• nakeTo make naked; to bare.
• WhitlockA surname.
• virulentOf animals, plants, or substances: extremely venomous or poisonous.
• garretAn attic or semi-finished room just beneath the roof of a house.
• commendableWorthy of commendation; deserving praise; admirable, creditable, or meritorious.
• barbaricof or relating to a barbarian; uncivilized, uncultured or uncouth
• presbyteryThe home of a Roman Catholic parish priest.
• spudA potato.
• mangAmid, amongst, among.
• zealousFull of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion, particularly in matters of religion.
• twineA twist; a convolution.
• collationThe act of bringing things together and comparing them; comparison.
• dictionChoice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication; the effectiveness and degree of clarity of word choice and expression.
• unoccupiedNot inhabited, especially by a tenant
• yearlingAn animal that is between one and two years old; one that is in its second year (but not yet two full years old).
• damnationThe state of being damned; condemnation; openly expressed disapprobation.
• tenementA building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one.
• chaliceA large drinking cup, often having a stem and base and used especially for formal occasions and religious ceremonies.
• prefectAn official of Ancient Rome who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.
• sweetlyWith a sweet taste or aroma.
• cleaveTo split or sever something with, or as if with, a sharp instrument.
• overlordA ruler of other rulers.
• whosoeverWhatever person or persons: emphasised or elaborated form of whoever.
• chamAn autocrat or dominant critic, especially Samuel Johnson.
• vermeilBright scarlet, vermilion.
• scourTo clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent.
• fallowGround ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.
• widowerA man whose spouse has died (and who has not remarried); a man in relation to his late spouse; masculine of widow.
• purgingA removal of undesirable people.
• faintingAn act of collapsing into a state of temporary unconsciousness.
• serviceableEasy to service.
• indigestionA condition of heartburn, nausea, or other stomach-related pain, sometimes caused by eating too quickly.
• bierA litter to transport the corpse of a dead person.
• lullA period of rest or soothing.
• delectableHighly pleasing; delightful, especially to any of the senses; delicious.
• nebA bird's beak.