Acolyte: a devoted follower or attendant
Alb: a long-sleeved, white priestly garment
Bailiff: the agent of the lord of a manor who collects rents and administers the local laws
Ballock dagger: a knife distinguished by two rounded prominences or ballocks (balls) that serve as a guard
Canonical hours: periods of the day set aside for prayer or devotion
Canterbury: city in southern England whose cathedral houses the popular shrine of St. Thomas à Becket, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the primary church prelate in England
Compline: closing prayers of the evening, one of the canonical hours
Cottar: one who held no land in his or her own right
Cowl: the hood or hooded robe worn especially by a monk
Croft: a small, enclosed field or pasture near a house
Farthing: a coin worth one-quarter of a penny
Gallows: a device usually consisting of two upright posts supporting a crossbeam from which a noose is suspended and used for execution by hanging Glaives: long poles with sharp blades attached
Hamlet: a small village
Heretic: one who publicly dissents from the officially accepted dogma
Holy Church: the principal Christian religion in Europe, headed by the Pope in Rome, Italy, prior to the divisions brought on by the Protestant Reformation
Infidel: an unbeliever with respect to a particular religion, especially Christianity or Islam
Kirtle: a tunic or coat for men; or, a long gown or dress for women
Matins: the first prayers of the day, one of the canonical hours
Mazer: a large drinking bowl made of wood
Mercenary: someone hired for service in a foreign army
Millrace: a canal in which the fast-moving stream of water flows to drive the mill wheel
Moot: an assembly of people exercising administrative and judicial powers
Mummer: an actor, especially a pantomimist
None: the fifth of the canonical hours, in midafternoon
Palfrey: a saddle horse, especially one for a woman to ride
Patten: a clog, sandal, or overshoe with a thick wooden sole
Portcullis: a grating of iron or wooden bars or slats, suspended in the gateway of a fortified place and lowered to block passage
Privy: an outdoor toilet Reeve: a bailiff or steward of a manor
Serf: a person who is bound in servitude to the land; the lowest position in feudal society
Smote: the past tense of smite: to inflict a heavy blow on, with the hand, a tool, or a weapon
Solar: a loft or upper chamber; a garret room
Spinney: a small grove of trees
Steward: one who manages another’s property, finances, or other affairs
Tonsure: the part of the cleric’s head, usually the crown, left bare by shaving
Trencher: a wooden board or platter on which food is carved or served
Vespers: a worship service held in the late afternoon or evening
Villein: one of a class of feudal serfs who held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their lord