Vocabulary in Atonement

The act of making amends or reparation for a serious wrong one has committed; here, a lifelong effort to repair the damage caused by a false accusation.

Having an arched or curved ceiling or roof, like a cathedral; used to describe the grand architectural features of a large country house.

Having developed certain abilities or maturity at an unusually early age; here describing a child who writes and thinks with the sophistication of someone much older.

A tall, narrow chest of drawers, often with a mirror attached; a piece of Victorian or Edwardian bedroom furniture.

A low, cushioned seat or footstool, sometimes with storage inside; a piece of drawing-room furniture common in large English houses of the period.

A triangular or curved decorative feature above a door, window, or the front of a building; an architectural ornament associated with grand country houses.

To irritate or annoy someone; to provoke a feeling of mild but persistent frustration.

Gaps or missing sections in a text, argument, or memory; places where something is absent that should be present.

Based on direct observation or experience rather than theory or imagination; used to contrast a scientific way of knowing with a child's fanciful interpretation.

To outline or sketch something in a vague or incomplete way; to foreshadow or give a partial indication of something to come.

A gradual decline or deterioration; borrowed from grammar (the inflection of nouns) but used here to suggest a falling away from a former state.

To clear someone of blame or fault; to show or declare that a person is not guilty of wrongdoing.

A formal written or spoken statement given under oath, used as evidence; here, the official account Briony gives to the police about what she claims to have witnessed.

Temporary lodgings assigned to soldiers in civilian buildings or homes; a military term for makeshift accommodation during a campaign.

A section of a military front line that bulges outward into enemy territory, making it exposed on three sides; a term from First and Second World War battlefield geography.

Gunfire directed along the length of an enemy line from the side, rather than head-on; a military term for a particularly devastating angle of fire.

Military weapons, ammunition, and equipment; here used specifically to refer to artillery shells and the materiel of modern warfare.

A life-threatening infection in which bacteria enter the bloodstream and spread through the body; blood poisoning, a common cause of death from infected wounds.

A trainee nurse who has not yet qualified; someone serving a trial period before being accepted as a fully registered nurse.

A piece of material — gauze, bandage, or lint — applied to cover and protect a wound; a standard term in nursing and medical care.

A surgical procedure in which dead, damaged, or infected tissue is removed from a wound to allow healthy tissue to heal; a French-derived medical term used in wartime nursing.

The act of pleading or intervening on behalf of another person; here, an appeal made to someone in authority to help or spare another.

The act of making amends for guilt or wrongdoing through suffering or good deeds; a more formal or religious word for paying off a moral debt.

A false and damaging statement made about someone; a malicious lie that injures another person's reputation.

A form of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, leading to progressive loss of memory and mental function; the condition afflicting the elderly Briony in the epilogue.