War and Peace

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 83 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

• bald
• entertain
• carriage · carriages ×2
• mon ×2
• relays
• immense
• interfere
• fond
• heir
• gesture
• continually
• feminine
• tenth
• offended
• regiment ×2
• distress
• sigh
• marble
• sensible
• behaved
• pause
• visitor · visitors ×14
• dignity
• spite

Band C — recognition checklist

All 45 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

• footman
• childbearing
• cornet
• ruble
• mingle
• pantry
• pretext
• conservatory
• degrade
• fro
• mamma
• scraping
• improperly
• cher
• illegitimate
• fulfillment
• godfather
• stout
• unfold
• hush
• dine
• inherit
• countess
• endeavor
• cloak
• beau
• congratulate
• cheerful
• evidently
• caller
• interrupt
• linen
• weary
• mantle
• gigantic
• intervene
• sway
• dreadful
• remark
• eld
• expel
• policeman
• whisper
• eighty
• pinch

Band D — advanced (19 entries)

forty-five

forty-five

proud-looking

with a proud look

round-faced

with a round face

self-confident

sure of oneself

handsomer

more handsome

anteroom ×2

a waiting room

interposed

to put in a word between others

inattention

lack of attention

portly

stout and dignified

damask

fine woven table linen

unflinching

without shrinking

surmises

a guess

serfs

a peasant bound to a master's land

rustle · rustling ×4

a soft dry whispering sound

impersonate

to act the part of another

exclaimed

to cry out

alluded

to hint at

amuses

entertained; smiling

complacent

smugly satisfied

Band E — rare & archaic (10 entries)

clean-shaven

with no beard

chère ×2

dear — French, as in ma chère, my dear

snuffbox

a small box for powdered tobacco

jauntily

with easy, showy confidence

languor

dreamy weakness; lack of energy

vexation

annoyance; distress

entreaties

an earnest plea

scanty

barely enough; thin

brigands

a robber; bandit

soiree

an evening party — French

False friends — common words wearing old senses (1)

sensible

aware — the old sense here

Names (34)

apráksina ×2

a lady of the Apráksin family

bezúkhov ×4

the family name of Pierre, the novel's hero

borís ×2

Borís Drubetskóy, the ambitious young officer

bóry ×2

a wood by Smolénsk

dmítri ×2

the Rostóvs' man of business

drubetskáya ×2

Princess Anna Mikháylovna Drubetskáya, Borís' scheming mother

dólokhov ×3

the cold-eyed duelist, gambler, and partisan

dólokhova

Dólokhov's mother

ivánovna

a patronymic — daughter of Iván

karágina

Julie Karágina's family name

kurágin

the family name of Prince Vasíli and his children

kutúzov

Michael Kutúzov, the old one-eyed commander in chief

lvóvna

a patronymic — daughter of Lev

mikháylovna ×6

a patronymic — daughter of Michael

moyka

a Petersburg canal

márya ×2

a Russian woman's name — Princess Mary and others

povarskáya

the Rostóvs' Moscow street

pávlovna ×3

a patronymic — daughter of Paul; Anna Pávlovna Schérer

radzivílov

a border town

razumóvski

a great count's family

rostóva

a lady of the Rostóv family

rostóvs ×2

the warm-hearted Moscow family at the novel's center

semënov

of the Semënov Guards

vasílevich

a patronymic — son of Vasíli

vasíli ×6

Prince Vasíli Kurágin, the smooth court intriguer

vladímirovich ×3

a patronymic — son of Vladímir

nataly

Natásha — French form

lorrain

the fashionable French doctor

anatole

Anatole Kurágin, Prince Vasíli's handsome, dissolute son

natalia

Natásha's formal name

catherine

Catherine the Great, the famous Empress

anna ×9

a woman's name — Anna Pávlovna Schérer and others

Anna Pávlovna

the Petersburg hostess

in spite of

despite