Vocabulary in Great Expectations

Rough and of low quality; here used to describe Pip's hands and clothing as signs of his working-class status, marking him as socially inferior in the eyes of the wealthy.

Completely covered or buried under something; here describing the convict as having been submerged and coated in mud or water from the marshes.

A mild oath used as an exclamation, a softened form of 'damn me,' expressing strong feeling without using outright profanity.

Dialect contraction of 'have not,' used in the speech of uneducated or rural characters to show their non-standard English.

Flat and level, running parallel to the ground; here describing the flat, featureless landscape of the marshes as seen from a distance.

A thick, low-lying fog that forms over wet, boggy ground; in this novel it creates an atmosphere of danger, concealment, and mystery on the Kent marshes.

A sweet, spiced mixture of dried fruits, suet, and sometimes meat, used as a pie filling; a traditional British food that Pip steals to give to the convict.

Dialect form of 'along of' or 'alongside,' meaning 'because of' or 'together with'; used here in the convict's rough speech to mean suspicion falling on others because of him.

A legal term meaning formally sent by a magistrate to stand trial in a higher court; the convict was about to be officially charged and sent to court.

A small local jail or holding cell where people are kept temporarily after arrest, before being brought before a court.

A nineteenth-century term for a serious illness involving high fever and delirium, often brought on by extreme stress or exposure; now understood as conditions such as meningitis or encephalitis.

An embarrassing or improper disclosure; Pip fears the convict will blurt out something shameful about him in front of the dinner guests.

Raised without a mother's nursing, fed by spoon or bottle rather than breastfed; in this novel it also carries the ironic suggestion of being raised with physical discipline.

Anxious fear or dread about something that might happen; a worried anticipation of trouble or embarrassment.

Hanging down from something; here describing the long bridal veil that falls from Miss Havisham's hair.

The playing cards also called Jacks; an older, more formal name for the card bearing the image of a male servant or soldier, ranked below the Queen.

A strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and beneath one's regard; scornful dismissal of a person as inferior.

Constant and long-lasting, persisting without relief; here describing a state of discomfort that never goes away rather than one that comes and goes.

Plain, undeniable fact as opposed to wishful imagination; the actual truth of a situation stripped of fantasy or illusion.

A ghost or purely imaginary being with no physical body; here Pip uses it to say that 'Barnard' is not a real person but merely a name on a sign.

A British inn or tavern open to the general public, serving food and drink; a step below a proper hotel in social standing.

A sum of money paid to a master craftsman or professional in exchange for taking on an apprentice and teaching them a trade.

Joe's dialect rendering of 'mean to say,' run together as one word to capture his uneducated, halting manner of speaking.

Shamelessly bold and unashamed; here describing Pumblechook as an impudent fraud who takes credit that does not belong to him.

A person who deceives others by pretending to be something they are not, or by falsely claiming credit or an identity that is not theirs.

Tender feeling or emotional warmth toward others; here used dismissively by Estella to deny that she has any capacity for affection or sympathy.

To refuse any further involvement or responsibility in a matter; to declare oneself completely done with something and free of blame for its outcome.