The Nursery Frieze Defined

 The Nursery Frieze was published by Edward Gorey through his Fantod Press in 1964 in a limited edition of 500 copies. Inspired by a recent Facebook post by the Edward Gorey House, here are all 96 words being muttered by the animals parading in single file in the book, along with their definitions. Some words have more than one meaning. For these, the definition most likely to appeal to or be used by Mr. Gorey was chosen.

Archipelago - Any large body of water with a chain of islands
cardamon - Aromatic seeds used as a spice or condiment
obloquy - Damning or censure of a person or thing by the general public
tacks - A short, sharp pointed nail, usually with a rounded head
Ignavia - Idleness or sloth
samisen - Japanese musical instrument with a long neck and three strings, played with a plectrum
bandages - A strip of cloth or other material used to bind a wound
wax - A solid, yellowish substance secreted by bees
gavelkind - Equal division of land among the heirs of the holder
tumeric - A powdered plant rhizome used as a yellow dye or condiment, as in curry powder
imbat - A cooling etesian wind in the Levant (as in Cyprus)
cedilla - A mark (¸) placed under a consonant letter, as under c in French, in Portuguese, and formerly in Spanish, to indicate that it is pronounced (s), under c and s in Turkish to indicate that they are pronounced, respectively, (ch) and (sh), or under t and s in Romanian to indicate that they are pronounced, respectively, (ts) and (sh).
Cassation - An annulment, cancellation, or reversal. Also, an 18th Century instrumental musical suite intended for outdoor performance
hendiadys - A figure in which a complex idea is expressed by two words connected by a copulative conjunction: “to look with eyes and envy” instead of “with envious eyes.”
quincunx - An arrangement of five objects, such as trees, in a square with one at each corner and the fifth in the center
vanilla - Extract from an orchid pod, used in flavoring food
Corposant - A corona discharge in the air caused by atmospheric electricity causing a luminous region that sometimes appears around church spires, the masts of ships, etc.
madrepore - any stony coral forming reefs or islands in tropical seas
ophicleide - a musical wind instrument consisting of a conical metal tube bent double
paste - A mixture of flour and water used to bind two objects together
Jequirity - A poisonous scarlet colored pea used for making necklaces and rosaries
tombola - British lotto or bingo played with paper and pencil as a gambling game.
sphagnum - Any soft moss found in bogs, used in floral arrangements and for dressing wounds
distaste - disinclination or dislike
Aceldema - The land near Jerusalem purchased with the bribe Judas took for betraying Jesus
lunistice - The farthest point of the moon's northing and southing, in its monthly revolution
yarlborough - A hand in Bridge or Whist containing no honor cards
cranium - The part of the skull that encloses the brain
Febrifuge - A serving of medicine to dispel or reduce fever
ampersand - A symbol to represent "and"
hubris - Excessive pride or self-confidence
geranium - Common garden flower. Also, a tone of the color red
Opoanax - A semitransparent resin used in incense
thunder - a loud noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge
dismemberment - To remove limbs
baize - A soft green fabric resembling felt, used chiefly for the tops of billiard tables
Hellebore - Any of several plants of the buttercup family, the Christmas rose
obelus - A mark (− or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to point out spurious, corrupt, doubtful, or superfluous words or passages
cartilage - A firm, elastic, flexible type of connective tissue of a translucent whitish or yellowish color; gristle
maze - A confusing network of intercommunicating paths or passages; labyrinth
Anitgropelos - Waterproof leggings
piacle -A sacrificial offering
occamy - A metallic alloy that simulates the precious metals silver and gold. (Side Note: In the world of Harry Potter, an Occamy is a winged serpentine beast found in Asia whose eggs have shells made of silver. The Occamy can grow or shrink to fill any space. Perhaps J. K. Rowling has a copy of The Nursery Frieze herself.)
whistle - To make a musical sound by expelling air through a small space made by contracting the lips
Maremma - A marshy region near the seashore
accismus - The feigned refusal of something earnestly desired
badigeon - A composition for patching surface defects in carpentry or masonry
epistle - A letter, especially a formal or didactic one
Quodlibet - A subtle or elaborate argument or point of debate, usually on a theological or scholastic subject.
catafalque - A raised structure on which the body of a deceased person lies or is carried in state
hiccup - The condition of having spasms
remorse - A strong feeling of sadness and regret about something wrong that you have done.
Idioticon - A dictionary of dialect
gibus - Another name for an opera hat
botargo - A relish consisting of the roe of mullet or tunny, salted and pressed into rolls
divorce - The formal ending of a marriage by law
Phylactery - Something worn as a talisman or charm
gegenschein - A diffuse faint light, sometimes visible almost directly opposite the sun in the night sky
clavicle - Collarbone
sago - A white substance obtained from the trunks of palm trees used for making sweet puddings.
Bellonion - An early 19th Century mechanical musical instrument consisting of twenty-four trumpets and two kettle drums
thurible - A censer for burning incense
aphthong - A letter or combination of letters used in spelling a word but not pronounced., eg "gh" in "knight"
plumbago - Graphite
Amaranth - An imaginary flower that never fades or dies
rhoncus - A whistling or snoring sound of the chest when the air channels are partly obstructed
pantehnicon - A furniture removal van drawn by horses
hymn - A religious song that Christians sing in church
Diaeresis - A pause in a line of verse occurring when the end of a foot coincides with the end of a word
purlicue - The flourish at the end of a pen stroke
sparadrap - A sticking plaster
whim - A sudden wish to do or have something that seems to have no serious reason or purpose
Cicatrix - A scar
salsify - An edible plant whose root tastes like oysters
palindrome - A word, line, verse, number, or sentence that reads the same backward as forward
Bosphorus - A strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
Narthex - A porch or portico at the west end of a church reserved for penitents and others not admitted to the church itself
betrayal - To deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty
chalcedony - A translucent variety of quartz, often milky or grayish
phosphorus - a poisonous yellowish-white chemical element that glows slightly, and burns when air touches it
Ligament - A band of tissue serving to connect bones
exequies - A funeral procession
spandrel - The area between two adjoining arches, or between the head of a window on one level and the sill of a window immediately above
chandoo - An extract or preparation of opium that is smoked
Gehenna - Any place of extreme torment or suffering, but specifically the valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, where propitiatory sacrifices were made to Moloch
etui - A small case, especially for needles
anamorphosis - A drawing presenting a distorted image that appears in natural form under certain conditions, as when viewed at a raking angle or reflected from a curved mirror
glue - A protein gelatin boiled in water, that when melted or diluted is a strong adhesive
Wapentake - A subdivision of a shire or county corresponding to a hundred
orrery - A mechanical apparatus for representing the positions, motions, and phases of the planets, satellites, etc., in the solar system
aspic - A savory jelly usually made with meat or fish stock and gelatin
mistrust - To regard with suspicion or doubt
Ichor - An ethereal fluid flowing in the veins of the gods. ALSO: An acrid, watery discharge, as from an ulcer or wound.
ganosis - A process of toning down the glare of marble as practiced by sculptors in classical antiquity, especially on nude parts of a sculpture
velleity - A mere wish, but without the conviction to act upon it
dust - A cloud of finely powdered earth or other matter in the air.

How many of these words can find their way into daily conversation?