I’ve read twenty chapters of Sir Walter Scott’s novel Kenilworth and these are the some of the new words I’ve learned so far:
Bonaroba
A bonaroba is a woman who is a showy wanton or a courtesan. (The Free Dictionary)
Cordovan
Cordovan is a soft, smooth leather originally made at Córdoba, Spain of goatskin, but later made also of split horsehide, pigskin, and so forth. (Dictionary.com)
Ferule
A ferule a rod, cane, or flat piece of wood used for punishing children, especially by striking them on the hand. (Dictionary.com)
Jackanape
A jackanape (or jackanapes) is an impudent or mischievous person. (Wiktionary)
Nonage
The word nonage refers to a period of legal minority or any period of immaturity. (The Free Dictionary)
Pantile
A pantile is a type of fired roof tile. It is S-shaped in appearance and is single lap, meaning that the end of the tile laps only the course immediately below. Pantiles are used in eastern coastal parts of England and Scotland, where they were first imported from Holland in the early 17th century. (Wikipedia)
Precisian
A precisian is a person who stresses or practices scrupulous adherence to a strict standard, especially of religious observance or morality. (Merriam-Webster)
Sarsenet
Sarsenet is a fine, soft fabric, often of silk, made in plain or twill weave and used especially for linings. (Dictionary.com)
Spital
A spiral is a hospital, especially one for patients with contagious diseases, or a highway shelter. (The Free Dictionary)
Spitch-cock