Vocabulary ladder

The Count of Monte Cristo

Volume ONE, 6

4,226 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 56% of the text; the hard 8% is 184 entries — all of them below.

A 56.3% (568 types) B 7.7% (222 types) C 4.9% (157 entries) D 3.0% (89 entries) E 0.7% (28 entries) N 4.5% (67 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 222 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 157 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (89 entries)

brother-in-law
a sister's husband or wife's brother
fellow-creatures
other human beings
half-pay
half-pay: an officer's retired pay
law-court ×2
a court where cases are tried
one-half
one of two halves
peace-loving
fond of quiet
reconducted
reconducted: led back
son-in-law ×2
a daughter's husband
well-turned
neatly shaped or neatly said
execrate
execrated: cursed
thirty-two
explained by the text itself
well-beloved
dearly loved
headsman
the man who leads a whale boat and throws the spear
efface
to wipe away
inflexibly
unbendingly
pleader
one who argues a case in court
lap-dogs
small dogs kept as pets
repast
a meal
recommence
to begin again
above-mentioned
spoken of before
interposed ×4
to put in a word between others
condescend · condescended ×2
to stoop graciously to lesser people
imperfectly
not fully
earnestness
deep seriousness
fearfully
with fear
unreservedly
without holding back
incorrigible
past all mending
dereliction
a shameful failing of duty
nuptial
of a wedding
poetical
of poetry
suffused
spread over and through
forgetfulness
forgetting; loss of memory
diametrically
directly; exactly opposite
usurper · usurpers ×5
one who seizes a throne without right
arma
arms, in Latin
wincing
to shrink as from a blow
accursed
under a curse; hateful
fealty
the loyalty owed to a lord
espousing
to take up; embrace
corroboration
confirming evidence
marquise ×23
marchioness, in French
epidermis
the outer layer of the skin
utterance
speaking; words spoken
especial
special
fanaticism
a wild holding to one belief
mournful ×2
full of mourning
stiletto
a small narrow dagger
tranquillity
untroubled calm
reminiscences
a remembered story of the past
scoundrels
a shameless villain
usurped
to seize wrongfully
conspirator
one who plots in secret
wasn
was — wasn't: was not
royalist · royalists ×3
a supporter of the king
sentimentality
soft, gushing feeling
personification
the living image of a quality
eloquence
moving power of speech
meddle
to interfere
atone
to make good a wrong
betrothed
the one promised in marriage
inasmuch
inasmuch as: because
countenance
the face; composure
murmured
to speak in a low soft flow
trifle
a thing of no importance
oratory
a small private chapel
bestow
given as a gift
vindictive
bent on revenge
zealous
full of eager devotion
guillotine
the Revolution's beheading machine
smothered
muffled; stifled
scaffold ×2
the platform where criminals were hanged
bosoms
the breast
exclaimed ×2
to cry out
fervor
burning zeal
purify
to make pure
thence
from there
debtors
a person who owes money
exclamation
a cry of surprise or feeling
clasping
to hold tight in the arms
conspiring
to plot together
shudder · shuddered ×2
a shiver of horror
abode
a home; dwelling place
adherents
a follower
ere
before — an old word
bayonets
the blade fixed on a musket
sharpened
to make sharp and ready
singularity
strangeness
vigilance
watchful care
composure
calm self-control

Band E — rare & archaic (28 entries)

togæ
the robes of old Rome
well-nigh
nearly
lenity
mildness in judging
revivified
to bring back to life
redounds
to add to; count toward
parricide · parricides ×2
the killing of one's own father
unutterable
not to be spoken
strewed
scattered over
piteous
calling for pity
abjured
to swear off
parasitical
living off another
entreaty
an earnest plea
scruple
to hesitate over right and wrong
revolutionists
one who works to overturn a government
evince
to show; give sign of
lawgiver
lawgivers: makers of laws
proscription
the condemning of a man as an outlaw
contrive
to plan cleverly; devise
recrimination
counter-accusation
vehemence
passionate force
deign
to lower oneself to grant
scrawl
written in careless sprawling marks
enraptured
filled with delight
leaven
the stuff that makes dough rise
abeyance
a state of being held in waiting
aught
anything — old form
magisterial
of a magistrate
betrothal ×3
a promise of marriage

False friends — common words wearing old senses (4)

interest
the spectacle that draws a crowd — the old sense here
state
ceremony; pomp — the old sense here
touching
concerning — the old sense here
witness
consider as proof — the old sense here

Names (43)

cedant
let them yield, in Latin
esculapius
the Roman god of healing
napoléons
French gold coins bearing Napoleon's head
porto-ferrajo
the chief town of Elba
saint-méran ×9
the family of Villefort's first wife
salvieux ×4
a French family name
noirtier ×4
the family name of Villefort's father
dantès ×4
the young sailor this story follows
girondin ×4
a member of a moderate party in the French revolution
bonapartists
supporters of Napoleon
pharaon ×2
the name of Morrel's ship
procureur
the public prosecutor, in French
bonapartist ×4
a supporter of Napoleon
enghien
a French duke shot by Napoleon's order
villefort ×44
the young deputy prosecutor of Marseilles
leipsic
Leipzig, a German city and a great battle
vendôme
a Paris square with a tall column
thermidor
the revolutionary month in which Robespierre fell
quinze
fifteen, in French; also a card game
tuileries
a royal palace and garden in Paris
artois
a province of northern France; also a royal title
corsican
of Corsica
hartwell
the English house where the exiled French king lived
robespierre ×2
the leader of the French revolution's worst year
cours
a walk or avenue, in French
renée ×21
Villefort's first wife
condé ×2
a great French princely family
murat
a marshal of Napoleon who became a king
corsica
the island where Napoleon was born
duc ×2
duke, in French
elba ×2
the island where Napoleon was first sent
comte ×4
count, in French
napoleonic
of Napoleon
vive
long live, in French
edmond ×2
the first name of the young sailor this story follows
josephine
the first wife of Napoleon
cromwell
the Englishman who ruled after the king was beheaded
roi
king, in French
helena
St Helena, the island where Napoleon died
napoleon ×10
the French emperor and general
terror ×2
the worst period of the French revolution
Edmond Dantès
the young sailor this story begins with
Villefort
the deputy prosecutor of Marseilles