“Household Words”

“Household Words”

Common and Uncommon Words Coined by Shakespeare

A—F | G—M | N—R | S—Z

nayword (“byword”)
neglect (the noun)
to negotiate
never-ending [earlier than OED]
newsmonger
nimble-footed
noiseless
nonregardance (“disregard”)
nook-shotten (“full of corners or angles”)
to numb [earlier than OED]
obscene (Shakespeare meant “revolting”)
ode
to offcap (“to doff one’s cap”)
offenseful (“sinful”)
Olympian (Shakespeare meant “Olympic”)
to operate
oppugnancy (“antagonism”)
outbreak
to outcrafty (“to excel in craft”: “outwit”)
to outdare
to outfrown
to outgrow
to out-Herod (“to outdo Herod in bluster”)
to outscold
to outsell (Shakespeare meant “to exceed in value”)
to outstare
to outswear
to outsweeten (“to be sweeter than”)
to out-talk
to out-villain
to outweigh
overblown (Shakespeare meant “blown over”)
to overbulk (“to surpass in bulk”)
overcredulous
overgrowth
to overpay
to overpower
to overrate
to over-red (“to redden over”)
to overstink (“to stink more than”)
overview (as a noun: Shakespeare meant “supervision”)
pageantry
to palate (Shakespeare meant “to relish”)
pale-faced
to pander
passado (a kind of sword-thrust)
paternal
pauser (“one who hesitates”)
pebbled (“pebbly”)
pedant (Shakespeare was referring to a schoolmaster)
pedantical
pendulous (Shakespeare meant “hanging over”)
to perplex
perusal
to petition
pignut (a sort of tuber)
pious
please-man (“yes-man” or “parasite”)
plumpy (“plump”)
posture (Shakespeare seems to have meant something like “position” or “positioning”) [earlier than OED]
pouncet-box (“small box of perfumes”)
prayerbook [earlier than OED]
priceless
profitless
Promethean
protester (Shakespeare meant “one who affirms”)
published (Shakespeare meant “commonly recognized”)
puh! (an interjection signifying disgust and/or condescension)
to puke
puppy-dog
pushpin (Shakespeare was referring to a children’s game)
on purpose
quarrelsome
in question (as in “the___ in question”)
radiance
to rant
rascally [earlier than OED]
rawboned (“very gaunt”)
razorable (“fit to be shaved”)
reclusive
refractory
reinforcement (Shakespeare meant “renewed force”)
reliance
remorseless
reprieve (the noun)
restoration [earlier than OED]
* restraint (as “reserve”)
retirement
to reverb (“to re-echo”)
revokement (“revocation”)
revolting (Shakespeare meant “rebellious”) [earlier than OED]
to reword (Shakespeare meant “re-echo” and “repeat”)
ring carrier (“go-between”)
ring-time (“time for exchanging rings”)
to rival (Shakespeare meant “to compete”)
roadway
roguery
rose-cheeked
rose-lipped
rug-headed (“shock-headed”)
rumination
ruttish