| Term | Definition |
|---|
| arbitrate | to act as an impartial judge in order to settle disputes. |
| as clean as God's fingers | pure or perfect, in the way that all parts of God are flawless. |
| autocracy | a government in which one person has absolute power; dictatorship; despotism. |
| base | having or showing little or no honor, courage, or decency; mean; ignoble; contemptible. |
| beguile | to mislead by cheating or tricking; deceive. |
| bewildered | confused or disoriented; here, meaning bewitched or acting unnaturally. |
| bound | nder compulsion; obliged; here it means in service to. |
| break charity | o treat wrongfully or betray. |
| broken | sick, weakened, or beaten; here, meaning weak and imperfect. |
| calamity | deep trouble or misery; any extreme misfortune bringing great loss and sorrow; disaster. |
| calumny | a false and malicious statement meant to hurt someone's reputation. |
| clapped | put, moved, set swiftly ( clapped into jail). |
| conjure up | to raise spirits from the dead. |
| contemptuous | full of contempt; scornful; disdainful. Here, the word describes Giles Corey's attempt to disrupt the court. |
| contentious | always ready to argue; quarrelsome. |
| cool | emotionally uninvolved; uncommitted; dispassionate; here, meaning calculated. |
| covenant | a binding and solemn agreement to do or keep from doing a specified thing; compact; the promise made by God to humanity, as described in the Bible. Here, "covenanted" specifically refers to a person bound by God's law and scriptures. For example, John Proctor is a married man and is bound to Elizabeth through their marriage promise or contract. According to God's law, Proctor and Elizabeth must remain faithful to one another. Of course, the entire premise of The Crucible is the result of Proctor's and Abigail's infidelity. |
| crucible | a container made of a substance that can resist great heat, for melting, fusing, or calcining ores, metals, and the like; a severe test or trial; here, meaning a test designed to bring about change or reveal an individual's true character. |
| daft | insane; crazy is closer to mad or crazy. |
| damn | to cause the ruin of; make fail. |
| defamation | damaging another individual's character or reputation, generally through false accusations. |
| deposition | the testimony of a witness. |
| diabolism | dealings with the Devil or devils, as by sorcery or witchcraft. |
| discontent | dissatisfaction or restlessness. Here, the verb form is used, meaning to fail to satisfy. |
| disputation | a discussion marked by formal debate, often as an exercise; here, meaning an argument. |
| dissemble | to conceal under a false appearance; disguise. |
| faction | a group of people inside a political party, club, government, and so on, working in a common cause against other such groups or against the main body; here, it refers to those resisting Reverend Parris. |
| floundering | speaking or acting in an awkward, confused manner, with hesitation and frequent mistakes; here, meaning wavering, especially from indecision or doubt. |
| gibbet | a gallows; a structure like a gallows, from which bodies of criminals already executed were hung and exposed to public scorn. |
| goody | a woman, esp. an old woman or housewife, of lowly social status: used as a title with the surname. |
| grand peeping courage | behavior or attribute of someone who is too frightened to participate in a ritual, but will watch others participate. |
| guile | slyness and cunning in dealing with others; craftiness; here, deception. |
| gull | to cheat or trick; dupe. |
| hard proof | undeniable, reliable, or actual proof; here, the phrase refers to solid evidence. |
| harlot | a woman who engages in promiscuous sexual activity for pay; here, meaning a sexually immoral woman. |
| inculcate | to impress upon the mind by frequent repetition or persistent urging. |
| lechery | unrestrained, excessive indulgence of sexual desires; gross sensuality; lewdness; here, lechery refers to Proctor's affair with Abigail. |
| licentious | morally unrestrained, esp. in sexual activity; lascivious. |
| paradox | a statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but that may be true in fact. For example, the Puritans created a theocracy in order to provide a unified and stable community in Salem. Instead, the witch trials severed social relations, separated families, and turned the people of Salem against one another. |
| parochial | of or in a parish or parishes; restricted to a small area or scope; narrow; limited; provincial; here, referring to the narrow-mindedness of the inhabitants of Salem. |
| partisan | a person who takes the part of or strongly supports one side, party, or person; often, specifically, an unreasoning, emotional adherent. |
| perjury | the willful telling of a lie while under lawful oath or affirmation to tell the truth in a matter material to the point of inquiry. |
| pointy reckoning | the act or process of getting even or getting revenge. |
| poppet | a doll. |
| probity | uprightness in one's dealings; integrity. |
| prodigious | notable; here, meaning ominous. |
| providence | the care or benevolent guidance of God or nature; here, the meaning is more closely aligned with "godsend," an unexpected but fortunate event. For example, Putnam believes God has revealed the presence of witchcraft in Salem. Although the idea of witchcraft frightens Putnam, he is grateful that the witchcraft has been revealed while it is still possible to control it. |
| purge | to cleanse or rid of impurities, foreign matter, or undesireable elements. |
| quail | to draw back in fear; lose heart or courage; cower. |
| rile | to anger; irritate. |
| scaffold | a raised platform on which criminals are executed, as by hanging. |
| sharp | clearly defined; distinct; clear. Here, the word means decisive. |
| silly season | phrase used to describe unexplainable, but natural behavior for a child. |
| slovenly | careless in appearance, habits, work, and so on; untidy; slipshod. |
| soft | gentle; low; not loud or harsh: said of sound. |
| softness | the quality of being easily impressed, influenced, or imposed upon; here, lax or negligent. |
| sportin' | jesting; joking. |
| strongbox | a heavily made box or safe for storing valuables. |
| tainted | morally corrupt. |
| theocracy | a government by a person or persons claiming to rule with divine authority. |
| tonnage | weight in tons. |
| trafficked | had traffic, trade, or dealings with. |
| truck | the practice of bartering; [Informal] dealings (have no further truck with them). Here, also a verb, meaning to be in league with someone. For example Tituba denies trucking, or being in league with, the Devil. |
| weighty | of great significance or moment; serious. |
| wheels within wheels . . . fires within fires | phrase used to imply conspiracies. |
| wintry | of or like winter; cold, bleak; Here, it means without feeling. |
| your justice would freeze beer | said here to a person who forgives another for an injustice, but still harbors resentment for the deed and makes the other person feel guilty. |
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