Meaning: A woman who seeks adventure, often in a romantic context.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The story features an adventuress who travels the world.

Category: Literature › Character Types

Synonyms: female adventurer

Meaning: a concluding section in a book or document

Part of speech: noun

Example: The author wrote an afterword to summarize the main points.

Category: Literature › Writing

Synonyms:

• epilogue
• conclusion

Meaning: A genre of literature often read while traveling, typically light and entertaining.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She enjoys airport fiction during her flights.

Category: Literature › Fiction

Meaning: A novel that is easy to read and often found in airports.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He picked up an airport novel for the flight.

Category: Literature › Fiction

Meaning: An expression of sorrow or regret.

Part of speech: interjection

Example: Alack! I forgot my keys.

Category: Literature › Expressions

Meaning: A character from a Middle Eastern folk tale, known for his magic lamp.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Aladdin is a popular character in children's stories.

Category: Literature › Folk Tales

Meaning: An expression of sorrow or regret.

Part of speech: interjection

Example: Alas, I cannot attend the meeting.

Category: Literature › Expressions

Meaning: A line of verse consisting of twelve syllables, often used in French poetry.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The poet wrote an alexandrine to express his thoughts.

Category: Literature › Poetry

Synonyms:

• verse
• line

Meaning: A character from the folk tale 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Ali Baba discovered the secret cave filled with treasure.

Category: Literature › Folklore

Meaning: A novel by Lewis Carroll about a girl named Alice who falls into a fantastical world.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Alice in Wonderland is a classic story loved by children and adults alike.

Category: Literature › Fiction

Meaning: Relating to or containing allegory; symbolic.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The allegorical tale teaches a moral lesson.

Category: Literature › Narrative Techniques

Synonyms:

• symbolic
• figurative

Meaning: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically moral or political.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Animal Farm is a famous allegory about the Russian Revolution.

Category: Literature › Narrative Techniques

Synonyms:

• symbolism
• fable

Meaning: A young man who is frustrated and disillusioned with society.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The novel features an angry young man as its protagonist.

Category: Literature

Synonyms: disillusioned youth

Meaning: Soon; shortly.

Part of speech: adverb

Example: I will return anon.

Category: Literature › Poetry

Meaning: A character or force in conflict with the main character.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The antagonist in the story created many challenges for the hero.

Category: Literature › Character Types

Meaning: A concise statement expressing a general truth or principle.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The quote is an aphorism about life.

Category: Literature › Philosophy

Synonyms:

• saying
• proverb

Meaning: To address someone or something that is not present as if they were.

Part of speech: verb

Example: In his poem, he apostrophizes the moon.

Category: Literature › Poetry

Synonyms: address

Meaning: Anything at all; any part.

Part of speech: pronoun

Example: If aught is wrong, please let me know.

Category: Literature

Synonyms:

• anything
• any

Meaning: To predict or foretell an event.

Part of speech: verb

Example: The dark clouds augur a storm.

Category: Literature

Synonyms:

• predict
• foretell

Meaning: A sign of what will happen in the future; an omen.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The augury of the birds was taken seriously by the ancient Romans.

Category: Literature

Synonyms:

• omen
• sign

Meaning: A legendary island in Arthurian legend.

Part of speech: noun

Example: In the tales, King Arthur was taken to Avalon after his death.

Category: Literature › Mythology

Meaning: To take action in return for a wrong done to someone.

Part of speech: verb

Example: He vowed to avenge his brother's death.

Category: Literature › Revenge

Meaning: A person who is conventional and materialistic, often used in a critical sense.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He was such a Babbitt, always focused on making money.

Category: Literature › Character Types

Meaning: A poet, often one who recites epic tales.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Shakespeare is considered a great bard.

Category: Literature

Synonyms:

• poet
• minstrel

Meaning: An abrupt transition from the serious to the trivial.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The poem ended with bathos, surprising the readers.

Category: Literature

Synonyms: anticlimax

Meaning: A person who loves books.

Part of speech: noun

Example: As a bibliophile, she spends hours in the library.

Category: Literature

Meaning: A love letter.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He wrote her a billet-doux to express his feelings.

Category: Literature

Synonyms: love letter

Meaning: Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Shakespeare often used blank verse in his plays.

Category: Literature › Poetry

Synonyms: free verse

Meaning: A set of written or printed pages bound together.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She borrowed a book from the library.

Synonyms:

• volume
• reservation

Meaning: A group of people who meet to discuss books.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She joined a book club to meet other readers.

Category: Literature

Synonyms: reading group

Meaning: A gathering of people to discuss a specific book.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The book group meets every month.

Category: Literature

Synonyms: reading group

Meaning: A character from fairy tales, often depicted as a villain.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The Big Bad Wolf is known for trying to trick Little Red Riding Hood.

Category: Literature

Meaning: A principal form of division in a long poem.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The poem is divided into several cantos.

Category: Literature › Poetry

Synonyms: section

Meaning: A situation where someone cannot escape due to contradictory rules.

Part of speech: noun

Example: It's a catch-22; you need experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain experience.

Category: Literature › Narrative Structure

Synonyms:

• dilemma
• paradox

Meaning: Serving as a warning.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The cautionary tale warned about the dangers of greed.

Category: Literature › Fables

Synonyms: warning

Meaning: A fictional cat from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' known for its mischievous grin.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The Cheshire cat disappeared, leaving only its smile behind.

Category: Literature › Fiction

Synonyms: fictional cat

Meaning: A genre of fiction that focuses on young women's lives and relationships.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She loves reading chick lit novels.

Category: Literature › Fiction

Synonyms: women's fiction

Meaning: The transition from childhood to adulthood.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The novel is a coming of age story.

Category: Literature › Themes

Synonyms:

• maturation
• growing up

Meaning: A type of poetry where the layout and shape of the text contribute to its meaning.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The poet created a beautiful piece of concrete poetry.

Category: Literature › Poetry

Synonyms: visual poetry

Meaning: A strong response to criticism or an attack.

Part of speech: noun

Example: His article was a counterblast to the negative reviews.

Category: Literature

Synonyms:

• rebuttal
• response