GLOSSARY OF TERMS for Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(Words extracted from or related to the Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
angelic-Like an angel; hence, of superhuman nature, intelligence, innocence, purity, sweetness.
awful-Causing dread; terrible, dreadful, appalling.
banish-To put to the ban, ‘proclaim’ as an outlaw, to outlaw.
billow-To surge, swell, undulate, roll with wavy motion.
bleary-(of the eyes) unfocused or filmy from sleep or tiredness.
brisk-Sharp or smart in regard to movement (in a praiseworthy sense) quick and active, lively. of persons. (Sometimes used of disposition = ‘cheery, sprightly, lively’).
bunting– To strike, knock, push, butt.
chimbley-Another word for ‘chimney.’
conniption–U.S. vulgar. Hysteria, hysterical excitement; pl. hysterics
considerate-Having or showing consideration; thoughtful, deliberate, prudent.
crisp-Having a surface curled or fretted into minute waves, ripples, folds or wrinkles.Brittle or ‘short’ while somewhat hard or firm in structure (usually as a good quality); said esp. of hard things which have little cohesion and are easily crushed by the teeth, etc.
cruel-Of persons, Disposed to inflict suffering; indifferent to or taking pleasure in another’s pain or distress; destitute of kindness or compassion; merciless, pitiless, hard-hearted.
dimwit-A stupid or slow-witted person.
flourish-To blossom, thrive.
flue-In early use, for chimney; or a smoke-duct in a chimney.
frigid-Intensely cold, without heat or warmth, of a very low temperature.
giddy-Mad, insane, foolish, stupid.
holly-an evergreen shrub or small tree with dark-green tough glossy leaves, having indented edges set with sharp stiff prickles at the points, and bearing clusters of small green flowers succeeded by bright red berries; much used for decorating houses and churches at Christmas.
mayhem-Rowdy confusion, chaos, disorder. Freq. in to cause (also make) mayhem.
miraculous-Of the nature of a miracle; produced or effected by a miracle; not explicable by natural laws; supernatural.
mistletoe-A yellowish-green, two-part divided, shrub, which grows on the branches of trees (usually broadleaved ones, esp. apple, poplar, and lime) and bears white berries. Formerly credited with great medicinal and magic powers, esp. when growing on oak (a very unusual occurrence). Traditionally used in England to decorate houses at Christmas, when it is associated with the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. The berries of mistletoe contain a sticky material (viscin) that aids in seed dispersal by birds and has been used as birdlime.*
Mt. Crumpit-a mountain high above, and to the north of Whoville. The Grinch and his dog Max both reside there.
muffler– A wrap or scarf (of wool or silk) worn round the neck or throat for warmth or anything used to wrap a part of the body, esp. the head or face.
murmur-To complain in low muttered tones; to give voice to an inarticulate discontent; to grumble.
ominous-Of appearance, sound, atmosphere, etc.: menacing; awful; unsettling.
perplexed-Of a person: troubled by deep uncertainty, esp. because of a complicated or unexplained matter; confused, baffled, bewildered, confounded. Of a state, act, characterized by, or expressive of, such uncertainty.
precipice-A headlong fall or descent, or a fall into a disastrous situation or condition.
proscenium-In ancient Greek and Roman theatres: the area between the structure which forms the background and the orchestra, on which the dramatic action took place; the stage. In a modern theatre: the front part of the stage; spec. the area in front of the curtain, often including the curtain itself and the arch or framework which holds it.
ramshackle-Of a person, action, etc.: unsteady, irregular, disorderly.
ratchet-To move with, or as with, a ratchet; to move jerkily, or by degrees.
recall-The action or an act of calling back.
reprise-To start to do something again; to resume.
sardonic-Of laughter, a smile: Bitter, scornful, mocking. Hence of a person, personal attribute, etc.: Characterized by bitterness, scorn or mockery.
scurry-The act of scurrying; a hurried movement, a rush; hurry, haste, bustle.
shriek-To utter a loud sharp shrill cry.
silhouette-A portrait obtained by tracing the outline of a profile, head, or figure by means of its shadow or in some other way, and filling in the whole with black; an outline portrait cut out of black paper; a figure or picture drawn or printed in solid black.
snide-Counterfeit, sham, bogus. Also (more widely): inferior, worthless. Of a person: cunning, sharp. Also, insinuating, and or sneering.
swagger-The action of swaggering; external conduct or personal behavior marked by an air of superiority or defiant or insolent disregard of others.
tinsel-Made to sparkle or glitter by the interweaving of gold or silver thread, by brocading with such thread, or by overlaying with a thin coating of gold or silver. Used chiefly for ornament; now esp. for cheap and showy ornamentation, gaudy stage costumes.
turbulent-Of persons, their attributes and actions: Causing disturbance or commotion; disposed or inclined to disorder; tumultuous; unruly; violent.
unison-Identity in pitch of two or more sounds or notes; the agreement of the sounds of two or more bodies vibrating at equal rates; the relation of two notes of the same pitch reckoned as one as in music.
urbane-Of, relating to, or characteristic of a town or city, esp. as opposed to the countryside, or of a person: elegant and refined in manners; courteous, civil; suave, sophisticated.
weary-To become tired; to suffer fatigue.
wonderful-Full of wonder; such as to excite wonder or astonishment; marvelous; sometimes used trivially = surprisingly large, fine, excellent, etc.
Yuletide-the season of Yule, Christmas-tide.
Works Cited
OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 24 April 2015.
Image courtesy of MGM Studios: Animation Studio from Heritage Auctions*
***COMMON CORE STANDARD: CSSS ELA Literacy EL 4.4***
Created & provided by: Erin Gerrard
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