Vocabulary ladder

War and Peace

Book One, VI

False friends4 entries

You know these words. In this book they mean something else.

society
the rich and important families who all know each other
started
set the carriage moving
study
a private room for reading and writing
the study
the private room for reading and writing

Idioms29 entries

Fixed expressions with a settled meaning of their own. Worth learning once.

take their leave
say goodbye and go
still less
and even less
rose to go
stood up to leave
a capital, good-natured fellow
a fine, kind-hearted man
taking leave of
saying goodbye to
It is settled
it is agreed
the match she contemplated
the marriage she was planning
I rely on you
I trust you to do this
how her father looks at the matter
what her father thinks of the plan
as though embracing her
as if he were holding her in his arms
looking past her
not looking at her
reached to his very heels
came all the way down to his heels
under pretense of helping
pretending to help
was in everyone’s way
kept standing where people needed to go
for all your innocent airs
even though you look so harmless
gives himself the airs of a monarch
acts as grandly as if he were a king
are not equal to
are not as good as
like one quite at home
as easily as if it were his own house
the first book that came to his hand
whatever book he touched first
see the thing in the right light
understand it correctly
One can’t everywhere say all one thinks
you cannot say everything you think in every place
tucked under him
folded beneath his body
either the one or the other
either choice
look round
see what there is
let us talk business
let us talk about what matters
enter the army
join the army
put on the air of one who
acted like a man who
on his own conviction
because he himself believed in the cause
does not suit me
is not right for me

Phrasal verbs8 entries

A verb and a small word that together mean something the two words do not.

took up
lifted
helping him on with
helping him dress in
drawing up
lifting
burst out laughing
suddenly began laughing loudly
deal with
handle
decide on
choose
referring to
talking about
come about
happen

Words from other languages9 entries

soiree
French: an evening party
my dear Monsieur Pierre
French: my dear Mister Pierre, both warm and polite
Au revoir!
French: goodbye
“Princesse, au revoir,”
French: Princess, goodbye
the vicomte×3
the French nobleman, a lord of middle rank
mon cher×2
French: my dear fellow
That abbé
that priest from the party
an abbé
a French priest
the abbé
the Italian priest from the party

Old word forms5 entries

Old forms of words you know. Learn them once.

kindly
kind and gentle
for you will not be there
because you will not be there; he means she is prettier than all of them
cried he
he said loudly
One has to know
you have to know
should be the first
would be the first

Words70 entries

In the order you will meet them.

charming
very pleasing
ungainly
clumsy in how he moved
Stout
fat and heavy
a drawing room
the big front room where guests were metan object or practice the period took for granted
particularly agreeable
especially pleasant
absent-minded
often forgetting what he was doing
three-cornered hat
a hat with its edge folded up into three points, worn by officersan object or practice the period took for granted
the plume
the long feather on the hatan object or practice the period took for granted
restore it
give it back
absent-mindedness
habit of forgetting what he was doing
inability
not being able
converse
talk with people
redeemed by
forgiven by everyone because of
modest
not proud
the footman×2
the male servant who opened doors and helped guestsan object or practice the period took for granted
his cloak×2
his long loose coat without sleevesan object or practice the period took for granted
indifferently
without caring
chatter
quick talk about small things
fixedly
without looking away
his eyeglass
a single round glass held to one eyean object or practice the period took for granted
sister-in-law
her husband's sister
approached
came near
Two footmen
two male servants who opened doors and helped guestsan object or practice the period took for granted
a shawl
a large cloth a woman wraps round her shouldersan object or practice the period took for granted
a cloak
a long loose coat without sleevesan object or practice the period took for granted
meaningless
without any sense
smilingly
with a smile
the ball
the big evening party with dancingan object or practice the period took for granted
downy
covered in very soft fine hair
joyfully
very happily
snatching
grabbing quickly
the shawl
the large cloth a woman wraps round her shouldersan object or practice the period took for granted
adjusted
arranged properly
gracefully
smoothly and easily
weary
tired
hurriedly
quickly
the latest fashion
the newest style
stumbling
tripping
the porch×2
the covered entrance outside the front dooran object or practice the period took for granted
a footman
a male servantan object or practice the period took for granted
his saber
his long curved swordan object or practice the period took for granted
disagreeable
unpleasant
gently
softly and kindly
affectionately
with warm fondness
The postilion
the man riding one of the horses that pull the carriagean object or practice the period took for granted
rattled
made quick knocking noises
spasmodically
in sudden jerks he could not stop
a terrible chap
a wicked fellow, said as a joke
spluttered
made broken sounds, laughing too hard to speak
amid
in the middle of
the sofa
a long soft seat for several peoplean object or practice the period took for granted
rubbing
moving back and forth against each other
creak
make the rough noise old wood makes when it bends
perpetual peace
a peace between countries that lasts for everan ordinary word the author has stipulated a meaning for
a balance of political power
keeping countries so equal in strength that none dares to attackan ordinary word the author has stipulated a meaning for
abstract
about ideas, not about real things
a guardsman
an officer in the Emperor's own best soldiersan ordinary word the author has stipulated a meaning for
a diplomatist
a man who works for his country's government with other countries
momentary
very short
tutor
a teacher for one child at home
dismissed
sent away from his job
your profession
the kind of work you will do in life
a career
his life's work
rubbed
moved his hand back and forth on
a war for freedom
a war fought to make people freean ordinary word the author has stipulated a meaning for
shrugged
lifted and dropped his shoulders, showing the words were not worth an answer
childish
like a child's, foolish
naïve
showing he knows little of the world
splendid×2
wonderful
ironically
in a way that showed he thought Pierre's hope was foolish

Words inside the phrases25 entries

These were explained above as part of a longer phrase. Here is what each one means on its own.

abbé
a French priest
agreeable
pleasant
awkwardness
not moving or acting easily
chap
a man, said in a friendly way
cher
French for dear
cloak
a long loose coat without sleeves
contemplated
thought about doing
diplomatist
a person who works for his country with other countries
eyeglass
a single round glass held to one eye to see better
footman
a male servant who opens doors and waits on people
guardsman
an officer in the Emperor's own best soldiers
indiscretion
saying something that should not have been said
mildness
gentleness
monarch
a king or emperor
perpetual
lasting for ever
plume
a long feather worn as decoration
porch
a covered entrance outside a front door
postilion
a man who rides one of the horses pulling a carriage
pretense
a false show
redeemed
made good again, so that a fault is forgiven
revoir
part of the French words for goodbye
saber
a long curved sword
shawl
a large cloth a woman wraps round her shoulders
tucked
folded or pushed neatly into place
vicomte
a French lord of middle rank