Emily Dickinson Lexicon

afternoon (-s), n. [OE aefter, behind + Flem. noenen, dial.] (webplay: between, day, evening, noon).

1. Celebration; time of joy.
2. Time of death; time just prior to death.
3. Twilight; dusk; sunset time; diminishing light.
4. Time period from mid-day to evening.

afterward (-s), adv. [OE aefter, behind + OE weard, turn.] (webplay: time).

1. Subsequently; later in time.
2. Next in order; then.

afterward, n. [see afterward, adv.] (webplay: subsequent).

1. The next life; the time that follows death.
2. Final phase; closure; conclusion; finale; swan song; [word play implies “after-word” as in an epilogue.]

again, adv. [OE ongegn < on on, in + gegn, straight, direct.] (webplay: Angels, answerest, back, bring us word again, come, face, give it back again, God, meet, more, name, opposite, return, time, toward, turn, word, world).

1. Repeatedly.
2. Anew; once more; another time.
3. Anew; afresh; [possible category shift to noun] resurrection; the idea of someone living anew; the hope of life after death.

against, prep. [OE ongegn; see again, adv.] (webplay: against the wind, bearing, every man, hand, King, leans against, man, mouth, measures, opposite, opposition, place, public).

1. Upon; supported by; in contact with; resting on the surface of.
2. At variance with; in contradiction to; of an opposing view.
3. Next to; directly nearby; very close to.
4. Counter to; in opposition to; in competition with; with hostility for.
5. To counteract; to neutralize; to offset; in provision for; as a protection from.

agate, n. [Fr agathe > L. achātes.]

Colorful gemstone; semi-precious stone; variegated chalcedony with colorful bands or markings due to the infiltration of other minerals; [fig.] corpse; dead body; body in rigor mortis [probably referring to the body of Edward Hitchcock, professor of natural theology and geology at Amherst College]; (see Isaiah 54:11-12).

age (-s), n. [OFr aäge.] (webplay: acts, ask, began, beginning, century, children, eyes, life, long, man, mature, period, strength, time, whole, youth).

1. Lifetime; range of years from birth to death; date of birth and death.
2. Passage of time; process of getting older.
3. Epoch; generation; distinct era of time; long period of time.

aged, adj. [see age, n.] (webplay: ask, children, past, time, year).

1. Dignified; erudite; knowledgeable; sagacious; seasoned; astute; wise from experience.
2. Worn out; exhausted; [fig.] dead.
3. Old; aged; elderly; [fig.] nearly finished; mature; mellow; ripe.

agent, n. [L. agens, acting < ag-ěre do, make.]

Emissary; representative; envoy; proxy; [word play] producer; maker; creator.

aggrandize (-ed), v. [Fr. < L. grandīre, to make great, large.]

Enlarge; expand; elevate; exalt; glorify.