Vocabulary ladder

Jane Eyre

CHAPTER II

2,778 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 55% of the text; the hard 8% is 135 entries — all of them below.

A 54.8% (458 types) B 8.5% (189 types) C 5.7% (147 entries) D 3.4% (86 entries) E 1.1% (30 entries) N 3.3% (19 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 189 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 147 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (86 entries)

easy-chair
a comfortable armchair
fellow-feeling
sympathy
pea-chicks
young peacocks
piled-up
heaped
s-maid
explained by the text itself
self-doubt
doubt of oneself
toilet-table
a dressing table
unfrequently
not unfrequently: often
red-room ×4
red-room: the grand cold bedroom where Mr Reed died
chimney-piece
the frame round a fireplace
looking-glass ×2
a mirror
haloed
ringed with light
parentless
without parents
browbeaten
bullied
reproved
to scold; correct
doubtfully
with doubt
sing-song
in a rising and falling chant
poorhouse
a charity house for the poor
wantonly
recklessly, without cause
footstool
a low stool for the feet
hothouse
a heated glasshouse for plants
damask
fine woven table linen
friendless
without friends
underhand
sly and secret
duplicity
double-dealing; deceit
georgiana
explained by the text itself
artifice
a cunning trick
parley
a talk between enemies
drapery
hanging cloth
abhor
to hate deeply
dwelt
lived; stayed
strove
struggled toward
transitory
passing quickly
tumult
wild noisy uproar
sullen
silently ill-tempered
sympathise
sympathised: felt with another
chancel
the altar end of a church
insolent
rudely bold
riveted
a metal fastening pin
sanguine
hopeful and warm-blooded
intelligible
able to be understood
ligature
a binding; a garter
wouldn
would — wouldn't: would not
consternation
shocked dismay
incredulous
refusing to believe
intruded
to push in unwanted
expedient
a device to serve the moment
forlorn
hopeless and sad
quivered
to tremble finely
precocious ×2
developed early
suffocated
smothered
vigour
strength and force
consecration
being set apart as sacred
virulent
poisonously bitter
noxious
harmful; poisonous
trifle
a thing of no importance
indemnity
security against loss
embers
a glowing coal
garters
a band to hold up a stocking; the Order of the Garter
gleam · gleamed, gleaming ×3
a flash of light
stifle
to choke down; smother
belated
delayed; late
fawn
a young deer; its shy softness
muffled
wrapped so as to dull sound
exclaimed
to cry out
instigated
instigated: stirred up
tabernacle
a dwelling place; the body as the soul's tent
dreary ×2
gloomy and dull
heterogeneous
of mixed kinds
indignation
anger at unfairness
elicit
to draw out
scapegoat
one who bears others' blame
abode
a home; dwelling place
quailed
to shrink back in fear
tantrums
tantrums: fits of temper
avert
to turn away; ward off
ere
before — an old word
habitual
usual by habit
thwarted
thwarting: blocking
inferred
to reason out from signs
propensities
a natural leaning
insurrection
an armed uprising
shrouded
wrapped and hidden
repulsive
disgusting
agitation
troubled excitement
stead
in one's stead: in one's place

Band E — rare & archaic (30 entries)

beclouded
clouded over
hard-wrung
wrung with difficulty
jewel-casket
a box for jewels
stateliest
most stately
stormily
in a storm of feeling
counterpane
a bed cover
captious
fault-finding
uncongenial
unsuited to one's nature
drear
dreary
consolatory
comforting
benefactress
a woman who does one good
peremptorily
in a tone allowing no refusal
insupportable
unbearable
ferny
full of fern
vassalage
servitude
complacently
with self-satisfaction
cordiality
warm friendliness
festoons
hung in loops and garlands
preternatural
beyond nature
opprobrium
disgrace and scorn
turbid
clouded; muddy
waken
to wake
ignominy
public shame
interloper
one who pushes in where he does not belong
irksome
tiresome; annoying
agonising
causing agony
partiality
a fondness; one-sided liking
perjured
false to an oath
acrid
sharp and bitter to the nose
whereof
of which

False friends — common words wearing old senses (4)

condition
social rank — the old sense here
interest
the spectacle that draws a crowd — the old sense here
passage
a sea-journey — the old sense here
state
ceremony; pomp — the old sense here

Names (9)

gateshead ×3
Gateshead Hall, the Reeds' house where Jane grows up
bessie ×17
Bessie, the nursemaid at Gateshead, kind to Jane
eyre ×4
Jane Eyre, the orphan governess who tells her own story
abbot ×13
Miss Abbot, Mrs Reed's lady's-maid
reed ×16
the Reeds of Gateshead: Jane's aunt and her children John, Eliza, and Georgiana
Gateshead Hall
the Reeds' house
Jane Eyre
the orphan governess who tells her own story
John Reed
Jane's bullying cousin
Mrs Reed
Jane's aunt by marriage, mistress of Gateshead