History is full of amazing and sometimes terrible old words. Here are some notables.
| abroad | out of doors |
| advertisement | a notice to readers in a book |
| ague | malaria or a similar illness |
| aliment | food; nourishment |
| animalcule | a microscopic animal |
| apothecary | a person who prepared and sold medicine |
| asunder | apart |
| audition | the power of hearing |
| aught | anything at all |
| avaunt | go away |
| bane | poison |
| bedlam | an asylum |
| behold | see or observe |
| behoof | benefit or advantage |
| beldam | an old woman |
| betimes | in good time; early |
| bibliopole | a dealer in books |
| billow | a large sea wave |
| blow | produce flowers or be in flower |
| bodkin | a dagger |
| bootless | (of a task) ineffectual; useless |
| breech | a person’s buttocks |
| bridewell | a prison or reform school for petty offenders |
| brimstone | sulphur |
| bruit | a report or rumour |
| buck | a fashionable and daring young man |
| bumper | a generous glass of an alcoholic drink |
| burgess | a full citizen of a town or borough |
| buss | a kiss |
| caboose | a kitchen on a ship’s deck |
| cadet | a younger son or daughter |
| caducity | the infirmity of old age; senility |
| camelopard | a giraffe |
| carl | a man of low birth |
| ceil | line or plaster the roof of (a building) |
| champaign | open level countryside |
| chapman | a pedlar |
| circumjacent | surrounding |
| cicisbeo | a married woman’s male companion or lover |
| cispontine | on the north side of the Thames in London |
| clerk | a literate or scholarly person |
| clew | a ball of thread |
| clout | a piece of cloth or clothing |
| commend | entrust someone or something to |
| commons | provisions shared in common; rations |
| communicant | a person who imparts information |
| compass | encircle or surround |
| con | study attentively or learn by heart (a piece of writing) |
| condition | social position |
| conjure | implore (someone) to do something |
| contemn | treat or regard with contempt |
| contumely | insolent or insulting language or treatment |
| cordwainer | a shoemaker (still used in the names of guilds) |
| corrupt | rotten or putrid |
| cottier | a rural laborer living in a cottage |
| coxcomb | a vain and conceited man; a dandy |
| coz | cousin |
| crinkum- | elaborate |
| crankum | decoration or detail |
| crookback | a person with a hunchback |
| crumpet | a person’s head |
| cruse | an earthenware pot or jar |
| cully | a friendly form of address for a man |
| cutpurse | a pickpocket |
| dame | an elderly or mature woman |
| damsel | a young unmarried woman |
| dandiprat | a young or insignificant person |
| darbies | handcuffs |
| dark | ignorant |
| degrade | reduce to a lower rank, especially as a punishment |
| degree | social or official rank |
| delate | report (an offence) |
| demoralize | corrupt the morals of |
| dight | clothed or equipped |
| discover | divulge (a secret) |
| dispraise | censure or criticize |
| divers | of varying types; several |
| doit | a very small amount of money |
| dot | a dowry from which only the interest or annual income was available to the husband |
| doxy | a lover or mistress |
| drab | a slovenly woman |
| drought | thirst |
| egad | exclamation of surprise, anger, or affirmation |
| embarrass | hamper or impede |
| embouchure | the mouth of a river |
| ere | before (in time) |
| espousal | a marriage or engagement |
| estate | a particular state, period, or condition in life |
| expectations | one’s prospects of inheritance |
| expiry | death |
| fain | pleased or willing under the circumstances |
| fainéant | an idle or ineffective person |
| fair | beautiful |
| fandangle | a useless or purely ornamental thing |
| fare | travel |
| fervent | hot or glowing |
| fie | exclamation used to express disgust or outrage |
| filibeg | a kilt |
| fishwife | a woman who sells fish |
| fizgig | a silly or flirtatious young woman |
| flux | diarrhoea or dysentery |
| forfend | avert or prevent (something evil or unpleasant) |
| forsooth | indeed |
| fourscore | eighty |
| freak | a whim |
| frore | frozen or frosty |
| froward | (of a person) difficult to deal with; contrary |
| fruit | offspring |
| fudge | nonsense |
| furbish | polish (a weapon) |
| gadzooks | an expression of surprise or annoyance |
| gage | a valued object deposited as a guarantee |
| gallant | a dashing gentleman |
| gammer | an old woman |
| garland | a literary anthology |
| garth | a yard or garden |
| gentle | noble or courteous |
| go-cart | a baby walker |
| God’s acre | a churchyard |
| goodly | attractive, excellent, or virtuous |
| goody | (with a name) an elderly woman of humble position |
| grateful | received with gratitude |
| grimalkin | a cat |
| gudgeon | a credulous person |
| gyve | a fetter or shackle |
| habiliment | clothing |
| halt | lame |
| handmaid | a female servant |
| hearken | listen |
| hence | from here |
| herbary | a herb garden |
| hereat | as a result of this |
| hereunto | to this document |
| hereupon | after or as a result of this |
| hie | go quickly |
| hight | named |
| hither | to or towards this place |
| horse-coper | a person who deals in horses |
| horseless carriage | a car |
| host | an army |
| hotchpotch | a mutton stew with mixed vegetables |
| howbeit | nevertheless |
| husbandman | a farmer |
| imminent | overhanging |
| indite | write; compose |
| inscribe | enter the name of (someone) on a list |
| intelligence | news |
| intelligencer | a person who gathers intelligence |
| invest | surround (a place) in order to besiege or blockade it |
| iron horse | a steam railway locomotive |
| izzard | the letter Z |
| jade | a bad-tempered or disreputable woman |
| jakes | an outdoor toilet |
| job | turn a public office or a position of trust to private advantage |
| kickshaw | a fancy but insubstantial cooked dish |
| kine | cows collectively |
| king’s shilling, take the | enlist in the army |
| knave | a dishonest or unscrupulous man |
| larcener | thief |
| latchet | a narrow thong or lace for fastening a shoe or sandal |
| laud | praise |
| laver | a basin or similar container used for washing oneself |
| learn | teach |
| leech | a doctor or healer |
| leman | a lover or sweetheart |
| let | hinder |
| levant | abscond leaving unpaid debts |
| Levant | the eastern part of the Mediterranean |
| levy | a body of enlisted troops |
| lief | as happily; as gladly |
| lordling | a minor lord |
| love apple | a tomato |
| Lucifer | a match |
| lurdan | an idle or incompetent person |
| lying-in | seclusion before and after childbirth |
| magdalen | a reformed prostitute |
| mage | a magician or learned person |
| maid | a girl or young woman |
| malapert | presumptuous and impudent |
| malison | a curse |
| man-at-arms | a soldier |
| marry | an expression of surprise, indignation, or emphatic assertion |
| mayhap | perhaps; possibly |
| measure | a dance |
| meat | food of any kind |
| mechanical | a manual worker |
| meet | suitable or proper |
| methinks | it seems to me |
| mooncalf | a foolish person |
| morrow, the | the following day |
| mummer | an actor in the theatre |
| natural | a person born with impaired intelligence |
| naught | nothing |
| nay | no |
| neat | a bovine animal or animals |
| nice | fastidious |
| nigh | near |
| nithing | a contemptible or despicable person talk about or make |
| noise (something) about | known publicly |
| nubbing-cheat | a gallows |
| numbles | a deer’s entrails as food |
| orison | a prayer |
| orts | scraps; remains |
| otherwhere | elsewhere |
| overleap | jump over or across |
| pale | an area within determined bounds or subject to a particular jurisdiction |
| palfrey | a docile riding horse |
| pate | a person’s head |
| peeler | a police officer |
| pelf | money, especially when gained dishonestly |
| peradventure | perhaps |
| perchance | by some chance |
| peregrinate | travel or wander from place to place |
| pest | bubonic plague |
| pestilence | a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague |
| peterman | a thief or safe-breaker |
| physic | medicinal drugs or medical treatment |
| piepowder | a traveller or an itinerant merchant or trader |
| pismire | an ant |
| pistoleer | a soldier armed with a pistol |
| plight | solemnly pledge or promise (faith or loyalty) |
| pollard | an animal that has lost its horns or cast its antlers |
| poltroon | an utter coward |
| popinjay | a parrot |
| portage | the action of carrying or transporting |
| portion | a dowry |
| portion | a person’s destiny or lot |
| posy | a short motto or line of verse inscribed inside a ring |
| pouncet-box | a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume |
| prithee | please |
| profess | teach (a subject) as a professor |
| progress | a state journey or official tour |
| purfle | an ornamental or embroidered edge of a garment |
| pythoness | a woman believed to be possessed by a spirit and to be able to foresee the future |
| quality | high social standing |
| quean | an impudent girl or woman |
| quick, the | the living |
| quidnunc | an inquisitive, gossipy person |
| quiz | look intently at (someone) |
| quoth | said (in I / he / she quoth) |
| rack | (of a cloud) be driven by the wind |
| raiment | clothing |
| rapscallion | a mischievous person |
| rathe-ripe | (of fruit) ripening early in the year; (of a person) precocious |
| receipt | a recipe |
| recipe | a medical prescription |
| recompense | punish or reward appropriately |
| recreant | cowardly |
| rede | advice or counsel |
| reduce | besiege and capture (a town or fortress) |
| relieve | make (something) stand out |
| repair | an abode or haunt |
| repulsive | lacking friendliness or sympathy |
| riband | a ribbon |
| rover | a pirate |
| rude | ignorant and uneducated |
| ruth | a feeling of pity, distress, or grief |
| sacring | the consecration of a bishop, a sovereign, or the Eucharistic elements |
| saddle-bow | the pommel of a saddle |
| salamander | a red-hot iron or poker |
| sanative | healing |
| sanguinary | involving or causing much bloodshed |
| sap | make (a building etc.) insecure by removing its foundations |
| saturnism | lead poisoning |
| scantling | a specimen, sample, or small amount |
| scapegrace | a mischievous person; a rascal |
| scaramouch | a boastful but cowardly person |
| science | knowledge |
| sciolist | a person who pretends to be knowledgeable |
| scold | a woman who nags or grumbles constantly |
| scot | a tax-like payment |
| scurvy | worthless or contemptible |
| sea coal | mineral coal |
| seizing | a length of cord or rope on board a ship |
| sennight | a week |
| shambles | a slaughterhouse |
| shrive | (of a priest) absolve (a person making a confession) |
| silly | helpless; defenceless |
| sippet | a small piece of bread or toast for dipping into soup or sauce |
| skirt | an edge, border, or extreme part |
| slay | kill in a violent way |
| slipshod | (of shoes) worn down at the heel |
| slugabed | a lazy person who stays in bed late |
| small beer | weak beer |
| smite | defeat or conquer |
| soak | drink heavily |
| soft tack | bread, especially as rations for sailors or soldiers |
| soil | a stain |
| sooth | truth |
| sore | extremely; severely |
| speed | success; prosperity |
| spence | a larder |
| statuary | a sculptor |
| steed | a horse |
| stripe | a blow with a lash |
| strumpet | a female prostitute or a promiscuous woman |
| success | a good or bad outcome |
| sugarplum | a small round boiled sweet |
| surety, of / for a | for certain |
| swain | a country youth |
| swash | flamboyantly swagger about or wield a sword |
| sweeting | darling |
| sweetmeat | an item of confectionery or sweet food |
| tantivy | a rapid gallop or ride |
| tapster | a person who serves at a bar |
| tenter | a person in charge of something, especially factory machinery |
| thenceforth | from that time, place, or point onward |
| thereunto | to that |
| therewith | with or in the thing mentioned |
| thither | to or towards that place |
| thrice | three times |
| tilt with | engage in a contest with |
| timbrel | a tambourine or similar instrument |
| ’tis | it is |
| tithe | a tenth |
| tocsin | an alarm bell or signal |
| tope | drink to excess |
| top-sawyer | a distinguished person |
| trespass | a sin or offence |
| trig | neat and smart |
| trigon | a triangle |
| troth | faith or loyalty when pledged in a solemn undertaking |
| turnkey | a jailer |
| ‘tween | between |
| tweeny | a maid who assisted both the cook and the housemaid |
| uncle | a pawnbroker |
| uncommon | remarkably |
| unhand | release from one’s grasp |
| up to snuff | up to the required standard |
| usher | an assistant teacher |
| varlet | an unprincipled rogue |
| venery | hunting |
| verily | truly; certainly |
| verse | a line of poetry |
| very | real; genuine |
| visionary | existing only in the imagination |
| wain | a wagon or cart |
| wait on/upon | pay a respectful visit to |
| waits | street singers of Christmas carols |
| wast | second person singular past of be |
| watch | remain awake as religious observance |
| watchful | wakeful |
| watchword | a military password |
| weasand | the oesophagus or gullet |
| wench | a girl or young woman |
| whence | from what place or source |
| whereat | at which |
| wherefore | for what reason |
| wherewith | with or by which |
| whilom | formerly |
| white goods | domestic linen |
| whither | to what place or state |
| wight | a person of a specified kind |
| wise | manner, way, or extent |
| withal | in addition |
| without | outside |
| wondrous | wonderfully |
| wont | accustomed |
| wonted | usual |
| wool-stapler | a dealer in wool |
| wright | a maker or builder |
| yclept | by the name of |
| ye | you |
| yea | yes |
| yoke | the amount of land that one pair of oxen could plough in a day |
| yonder | over there |
| zounds | an expression of surprise or indignatio |
Source: OxfordDictionaries.com