1. chancel — area around altar reserved for use of officiating clergy, usu. the eastern part of the church
The choir rose from their seats in the chancel and sang the introit, and we could not help but notice how the mysterious plague had depleted their pious voices.
2. Monothelite — believer in heretical doctrine that Christ has only a single divine will
Pope Honorius I was anathematized by the Third Council of Constantinople for promoting the Monothelites, or at least for having not condemned them out of hand.
3. tinkler (usu. tinker) — (Scot.) itinerant metal worker, usu. a gypsy
Naturally everyone suspected the tinkler who had been seen roaming the vicinage, but his biggest crime was repairing pewter with lead.
4. mischieve — to harm, to inflict loss; to ruin
The obvious conflict between their supposed high morals and their base actions will serve only to mischieve others who might have followed the true faith.
5. overthwart — crosswise, transversely
The grim wizard upon his haggard mount rode overthwart between the opposing armies, haranguing them endlessly with the most vile names and imprecations.
6. bombazeen (var. of bombasine) — twill fabric of worsted and (often) silk or cotton, used as mourning garb when dyed black
She stood in mournful silence, her bombazeen dress trimmed in crape, her hair and face covered by a black veil.
7. morgengab — portion of deceased man’s estate allotted to widow for her use as a direct bequest
Some Bible commentators believe that the gifts described in Genesis 25:6 that Abraham gave to his concubines’ children functioned as a sort of morgengab, a stated gift that foreclosed all interest those men would have to the bulk of the patriarch’s estate, which descended upon Isaac.
8. cleek — to seize with the hand, to clutch strongly or suddenly; to snatch
He acts as if he claught his spouse’s very soul when he took her to wife.
9. shenship — disgrace, ruin
Through the wiles of the evil one he fell into such shame and shenship that no more in this place may his name be spoken.
10. superpurgation — excessive purgation, vomiting, or evacuation of the bowels
The quack prescribed a medicament compounded from that very fruit as physic for my dear cousin, and her resulting superpurgation left her so weak as to approach nigh unto the very gates of death.