Dracula Vocabulary Betsy Williams
February 8, 2009
VOCABULARY CHAPTERS 1-2
Dracula
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the
sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and
write what you think the bolded words mean on the lines provided.
1. “The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks… On the stage they would be set down at
once as some old Oriental band of brigands.”
Brigands: People playing musical instruments___________________________________
2. “…on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he
could not understand my German.”
Reticent: Not willing to communicate easily_______________________________
3. “I could hear a lot of words often repeated…; so I got my polyglot dictionary from my bag
and looked them out.”
Polygot: translating from language to language or, a multilingual dictionary. ____________
4. “Then, amongst a chorus of screams from the peasants and a universal crossing of
themselves, a caleche with four horses drove up behind us…”
Caleche: a horse drawn carriage.__________________________________________________
5. “Give me the Herr’s luggage,” said the driver; and with exceeding alacrity my bags were
handed out and put on the caleche.”
Alacrity: speed, or fastness. ______________________________________________________
6. “Again I could not but notice his prodigious strength. His hand actually seemed like a steel
vice that could have crushed mine if he had chosen.”
Prodigious: exceeding, great, impressive_____________________________________________
7. “The light and warmth and the Count’s courteous welcome seemed to have dissipated all my
doubts and fears.”
Dissipated: dissolved them, or made them smaller. ____________________________________
8. “I much regret that an attack of gout, from which malady I am a constant sufferer, forbids me
absolutely any traveling on my part for some time to come…”
malady: being sick, or impaired for some reason. _____________________________________
9. “Come…tell me of London and of the house that you have procured for me.”
Procured: fixed up, or gotten ready._______________________________________________
10. “…his cast of face made his smile look malignant and saturnine.”
Malignant: mean, and evil._______________________________________________________
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
_E_ 1. brigands
A. impressively great in size, force, or extent; enormous
_C_ 2. reticent
B. a light carriage with two or four low wheels and a collapsible top
Dracula Vocabulary Betsy Williams
February 8, 2009
_G_ 3. polyglot
C. inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself
_B_ 4. caleche
D. drove away; dispersed
_H_ 5. alacrity
E. robbers or bandits, especially of an outlaw band
_A_ 6. prodigious
F. got by special effort; obtained or acquired
_D_ 7. dissipated
G. speaking, writing, written in, or composed of several languages
_J_ 8. malady
H. cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness
_F_ 9. procured
I. melancholy or sullen; having or marked by a tendency to be bitter
_I_ 10. saturnine
J. a disease, a disorder, or an ailment