Vocabulary ladder

Dracula

CHAPTER I

5,731 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 62% of the text; the hard 5% is 189 entries — all of them below.

A 62.0% (633 types) B 6.5% (245 types) C 3.8% (156 entries) D 1.8% (85 entries) E 0.8% (40 entries) N 2.2% (64 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 245 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 156 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (85 entries)

box-seat
the driver's seat
by-and-by
before long
coal-black
black as coal
dirty-white
greyish white
fear-meaning
carrying fear
fellow-passenger
a companion on a journey
fellow-passengers
those travelling with us
hard-driven
driven hard
hard-looking
hard in look
inn-yard
the yard of an inn
lance-fashion
like a lance
late-lying
lying late
mamaliga
a Romanian maize porridge
pine-clad
covered with pines
self-assertion
pushing oneself forward
self-surrender
giving oneself up
sharp-looking
keen-faced
snow-covered
covered with snow
word-bearer
a bearer of messages
pityingly
with pity
forcemeat
minced seasoned meat
ghost-like
like a ghost
old-fashioned
of the old fashion
snake-like
like a snake
well-known
explained by the text itself
prepossessing
to fill with a favourable feeling beforehand
greyness
grey dimness
shirt-sleeves
shirt-sleeves: without a coat
soothingly
calmingly
ungracious
rude; unkind
lamplight ×2
the light of lamps
perforce
of necessity
undergarment
a garment worn under
kind-hearted
kind at heart
lolling
to lounge at ease
baying
the deep cry of a hound
foreknowledge
knowing beforehand
wakened
to wake
grandly
in a lofty manner
earnestness
deep seriousness
fainter
more faint
missals
missals: old illuminated prayer books
gladness
joy
battlements
battlements: the notched tops of castle walls
interminable
endless
reticent
sparing of words
smattering
a slight knowledge
engendered
engendered: bred
petticoats
a woman's underskirt
crags
a steep rugged rock
imperious
commanding
sorrowful
full of sorrow
thunderous
like thunder
vertebra
a bone of the spine
conveyance
a means of transport
bewildering
confusing
implored
to beg with all one's heart
mem ×4
explained by the text itself
mumbled
to speak low and unclearly
prodigious
enormous
spangled
dotted with sparkling points
cleft
a deep split
clumps
a group of trees
abreast
side by side
paprika ×3
the red pepper of Hungary
gleam · gleaming ×3
a soft flash of light
whirlpool
a spinning pull of water
afield
far away
snort ×2
to blow sharply through the nose
crucifix ×3
a cross bearing the figure of Christ
staves
a verse of a song — this book calls its chapters staves
tremble · trembled ×2
to shake finely
shivered
to tremble with cold or fear
fluttering
to stir with quick light motion
serpentine
winding like a snake
gable
the pointed end wall of a building
momentary
lasting a moment
obstruct
blocked up
wailing
a long crying sound
jagged ×4
with a rough, notched edge
salient
standing out; most marked
rosary
a string of prayer beads
howl · howled ×4
to cry long like a wolf
shaggy
covered with rough hair
soothed
to calm; comfort

Band E — rare & archaic (40 entries)

bestrewed
bestrewed: scattered over
buda-pesth
explained by the text itself
calèche ×6
an open four-wheeled carriage — French
cheery-looking
cheerful in look
gotza
explained by the text itself
hay-ricks
stacks of hay
hendl
explained by the text itself
horse-tamers
tamers of horses
impletata
explained by the text itself
leiter-wagon
a long peasant's cart
mistiness
haze
pokol
hell — Hungarian
reiten
explained by the text itself
stregoica
witch — Romanian
szek
explained by the text itself
vlkoslak
vampire — Slovak
vrolok
vampire — Slovak
unpunctual
not on time
isten
explained by the text itself
slivovitz
plum brandy
impalpable
too fine to touch or grasp
pleasantry
a light joke
illumine
to light up
goitre
a swelling of the neck
unmercifully
without mercy
agonised
agonised: tormented
dawdle
to move lazily; waste time
straggling
trailing in disorder
sinewy
lean and strong with cords of muscle
idolatrous
worshipping as an idol
carafe
a water bottle
oleander
a flowering evergreen shrub
reverently
with deep respect
schnell
explained by the text itself
brigands
a robber; bandit
alacrity
eager quickness
polyglot
in many languages
ceaselessly
without stopping
neigh
to cry as a horse
stammered
to speak with halting breaks

False friends — common words wearing old senses (5)

awful
full of awe — the old sense here
peculiar
its own; particular — the old sense here
state
ceremony; pomp — the old sense here
urged
argued — the old sense here
use
habit; custom — the old sense here

Names (20)

bistritz ×5
Bistritz, the Transylvanian town at the start of Harker's journey
szekelys
the Szekelys, the Count's warlike race
bukovina ×6
Bukovina, the province beyond the Borgo Pass
magyars ×2
the Hungarians
carpathians ×6
the mountains of the Count's country
borgo ×4
the Borgo Pass, where the Count's carriage meets Harker
slovaks ×3
the Slovaks, boatmen and carriers of the Carpathians
lenore
Burger's ballad of the dead rider
harker ×2
Jonathan Harker, the young solicitor sent to the Count's castle; later Mina's husband
attila
Attila the Hun, from whom the Count claims descent
transylvania ×3
the Count's country beyond the forests
dracula ×5
Count Dracula, the ancient nobleman of Transylvania; the vampire
mina ×3
Mina Murray, later Mina Harker, the schoolmistress who keeps the records
jonathan ×2
Jonathan Harker, the young solicitor
Borgo Pass
the mountain pass where the Count's carriage meets Harker
Count Dracula
the ancient nobleman of Transylvania; the vampire
Denn die Todten reiten schnell
for the dead travel fast — German
Jonathan Harker
the young solicitor sent to the castle
Mein Herr
my lord; sir — German
paprika hendl
chicken with red pepper — Hungarian