prick-song, music sung from notes

pride, magnificence, splendid adornment, highest state, mettle, sexual desire

prig, thief

prime, first, chief, sexually excited; springtime

primogenitive, first-born’s right to inherit

principal, superior, abettor, principal rafter

princox, pert youth

Priscian, Roman grammarian

prithee, please

private, private person

privates, sexual organs

prize, contest; to value, esteem

prizer, prize-fighter, wrestler

probal, to, able to bear the probe or examination of

probation, trial, proof

proceeder, one proceeding to a university degree

procurator, proxy

prodigious, ominous, portentous, monstrous, abnormal

proditor, traitor

proface, ‘may it do you good’, formula of welcome before a meal

profited, proficient

progeny, lineage, race

progress, royal journey in state

project, notion, idea; set forth, exhibit

projection, plan

prolixious, prolonged

prolong, postpone

Prometheus, stole fire from heaven and was chained to Mount Caucasus

prone, ready, eager

proof, test, trial, experience, issue, result

propend, incline

proper, (one’s) own, private, peculiar, excellent, handsome

property, identity, particular quality, take possession of, endow with qualities, make a tool of

proportion, portion, division, relative size, proportioning, rhythm

propose, put forward, set before one’s mind, suppose, converse

propriety, identity, proper state

propugnation, defence

prorogue, prolong, postpone

prosecution, pursuit

Proserpina, daughter of Ceres, carried away by Pluto to become queen of hell

prosperous, favourable

Proteus, a sea-god, able to assume different shapes

protractive, consisting in delay

proud, elated, giving cause for pride, lofty, splendid, spirited, swollen, over-luxuriant, sexually excited

prove, try, test, find by experience, experience

publish, make known, proclaim, denounce

pucelle, virgin, maid, slut

puck, pixy, mischievous spirit

pudding, sausage, stuffing

pudency, modesty

puissance, strength, armed force

puissant, strong, powerful

pumpion, pumpkin

punk, prostitute, harlot

punto reverso, back-handed thrust in fencing

puny, novice, person of small account

purblind, quite blind, partially blind

purchase, booty, prize, annual rent from land; to strive, gain, acquire otherwise than by inheritance

purgation, clearing from accusation or suspicion

purlieu, tract of land bordering on a forest

purpose, proposal, conversation

pursuivant, junior attendant on heralds, herald, messenger

pursy, short-winded, fat

purveyor, steward going ahead to make provision

putter on, instigator

puttock, bird of prey, kite, buzzard

quail, prostitute; to fail, faint, overpower

quaint, skilful, clever, dainty, line, beautiful, elaborate

qualification, calm and controlled condition

qualify, moderate, mitigate, appease, control, dilute

quality, accomplishment, rank, profession, party, side, manner, cause

quarry, heap of slaughtered game

quarter, part, watch, relations with and conduct towards another

quat, pimple

quatch, word of unknown meaning

quean, hussy, whore

queasy, hazardous, squeamish

quell, slaughter

quest, jury, inquest, search party

questant, seeker

questionable, inviting question

questrist, seeker

quick, flowing, fresh, impatient, living

quiddity, subtlety, equivocation

quietus, clearing of accounts

quintain, object or figure to practise tilting at

quirk, quibble, clever expression, peculiarity of behaviour, fit, start

quit, set free, rid, acquit, acquit oneself of, revenge, repay, requite

quittal, requital

quittance, discharge from debt, requital; requite

quoif, close-fitting cap

quondam, former

quote, give marginal references to, set down in writing, note, observe, regard

quoth, said

quotidian, (of an intermittent fever) returning every day

race, root (of ginger), lineage, breed, natural disposition

rack, driving cloud; to torture, extend, stretch, strain

rage, madness, angry disposition, sexual passion; to enrage

‘raigning arraigning, putting on trial

ramp, loose woman

rampallian, riotous woman

rampire, barricade

rank, growing too luxuriantly, swollen, grown too fat, rebellious, high, full, lustful, in heat, coarse, festering; closely

rankle, cause a festering wound

rankness, overflowing, insolence

rare, splendid

rascal, inferior deer

rate, estimate, value, expense

ravel, become entangled, disentangle

raven, devour greedily

rayed, bespattered, fouled

read, teach, discover the meaning of, expound a riddle

re-answer, compensate for

reason, speech, remark; to talk, discuss, explain

reasonable, needing the use of reason

reave, deprive, take away

rebate, make dull, blunt

rebato, stiff collar

receipt, what is received, receptacle, receiving, capacity, recipe

receiving, understanding, reception

recheat, notes sounded on a horn to call hounds together in stag-hunting

reck, to care (for), mind

reclaim, tame, subdue

recognizance, bond, token

recomfort, console, restore

record, witness, memory; to witness, sing

recordation, memorial, impression on the memory

recourse, access, admission, flowing

recover, reconcile, reach, rescue

recovery, process by which entailed estate was transferred from one party to another

rector, ruler, head

rectorship, rule

recure, restore, heal

reduce, bring, bring back

reechy, smoky, dirty, stinking

reek, smoke, steam

refel, refute

reflect, shine

regiment, authority, rule

region, upper air, air

regreet, greeting, contract

reguerdon, reward

rehearsal, account

rehearse, describe, tell

reins, kidneys

rejoindure, reunion

rejourn, adjourn

relative, able to be related and believed

religion, strict fidelity, religious duty

religious, exact, conscientious, strict

remember, mention, commemorate, remind

remit, pardon, give up

remonstrance, demonstration

remorse, pity, tenderness, moderation, qualification, mitigation

remorseful, compassionate

remotion, departing

removed, remote, secluded, separated by time or space