Vocabulary in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

A sleeveless garment worn over a shirt and under a jacket, with buttons down the front; what Americans call a vest. Here the White Rabbit wears one with a pocket for his watch.

Strong feelings of dislike or aversion toward something. Alice wonders whether she has somehow turned into a child she has a natural hatred of.

A geographic coordinate measuring distance north or south of the equator. Alice uses it humorously, confusing geographic terms with her falling situation.

A geographic coordinate measuring distance east or west on the globe. Alice pairs it with latitude in a muddled attempt to sound knowledgeable while falling.

A deliberately ungrammatical coinage meaning 'more and more curious or strange,' used by Alice as she grows increasingly astonished at the impossible things happening to her.

Moving or acting with urgent speed, leaving no time to spare. Used repeatedly to describe the White Rabbit's frantic rushing about.

Small sweets or candies, typically nuts or seeds coated in sugar. Distributed as prizes after the Caucus-race.

A nonsensical race invented by the Dodo in which everyone runs in a rough circle with no fixed start or finish, and everybody wins. The term parodies political caucus meetings.

A snake. The Pigeon furiously accuses Alice of being one because of her long neck and her admission that she eats eggs.

A pipe with a long flexible tube that draws smoke through water to cool it before inhaling. The Caterpillar sits on a mushroom smoking one throughout Chapter 5.

Speaking slowly and without energy, as though drowsy or indifferent. Describes the Caterpillar's unhurried, dismissive manner of talking.

A distinctive uniform worn by a servant or footman to show which household they belong to. The Fish-Footman and Frog-Footman both wear livery in Chapter 6.

An old-fashioned way of saying 'by the way,' used to introduce a remark that is incidental or slightly off the main topic.

Speaking with a rough, weak, strained sound, as though ill or exhausted. Used to describe the way certain characters speak when distressed.

A thick, dark, sweet syrup produced during sugar refining, similar to molasses. The Dormouse tells a story about three girls who lived at the bottom of a treacle-well.

To shine with a small, flickering, intermittent light. The Dormouse's story parodies 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' replacing the star with a bat.

A lawn game in which players use mallets to hit balls through hoops. In Wonderland the game is played with flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls.

A tall pink wading bird with long legs and a curved beak. Alice uses one as a croquet mallet, struggling to keep it tucked under her arm.

A small spiny mammal that rolls into a ball when threatened. In the Queen's croquet game, hedgehogs serve as the balls.

Mock turtle soup was a cheap Victorian dish made to imitate real turtle soup, using a calf's head. The Mock Turtle is a creature who was once a real turtle, playing on this culinary joke.

A formal square dance popular in the nineteenth century, performed by four couples in a set pattern. The Lobster Quadrille is a parody dance performed by sea creatures.

Speaking slowly with vowels stretched out lazily, in a slow and indolent manner. Describes the elongated, unhurried speech style of certain Wonderland characters.

Small open pastries with a sweet filling, here specifically jam tarts baked by the Queen of Hearts and allegedly stolen by the Knave.

Of no significance or consequence. The King uses it as a legal ruling to dismiss evidence or testimony he finds inconvenient during the trial.

The formal decision reached by a jury or judge at the end of a trial declaring someone guilty or not guilty. The King and Queen demand a verdict before the jury has even deliberated properly.