100 Words That Used to Be Common Knowledge

No.	Item	Definition
1.	abacus	Manual frame for counting and arithmetic.
2.	almanac	Annual calendar of facts and tables.
3.	anvil	Heavy iron block for hammering metal.
4.	apothecary	Old-fashioned pharmacist or drugstore.
5.	armoire	Large wardrobe or cabinet.
6.	awl	Pointed tool for piercing holes.
7.	bellows	Device that blows air onto fire.
8.	besom	Broom made of twigs.
9.	blacksmith	Person who forges iron.
10.	bodice	Upper part of a woman’s dress.
11.	buckboard	Simple horse-drawn wagon.
12.	butler	Chief male household servant.
13.	buttermilk	Tangy liquid left after churning butter.
14.	carriage	Horse-drawn passenger vehicle.
15.	churn	Container for making butter.
16.	cobbler	Person who repairs shoes.
17.	cobblestone	Rounded stone used for paving streets.
18.	coffer	Strong box for valuables.
19.	cudgel	Short thick stick used as weapon.
20.	daguerreotype	Early photograph on a silvered plate.
21.	demijohn	Large narrow-necked bottle in wicker.
22.	doily	Small decorative mat for tables.
23.	dunce cap	Pointed cap for a slow student.
24.	eaves	Lower edges of a roof.
25.	ewer	Decorative pitcher for water.
26.	farrier	Person who shoes horses.
27.	fender	Metal guard near a fireplace.
28.	flagon	Large vessel for drink.
29.	flax	Plant used for linen fiber.
30.	flue	Duct carrying smoke from fire.
31.	fob	Short chain for a pocket watch.
32.	frock	Old word for a dress.
33.	gaiters	Cloth coverings for ankles or shoes.
34.	gallows	Frame for hanging executions.
35.	garret	Small attic room.
36.	gimlet	Small tool for boring holes.
37.	girdle	Garment worn to shape waist.
38.	grist	Grain ground or ready for milling.
39.	haberdasher	Seller of men’s clothing or notions.
40.	halberd	Long-handled medieval weapon.
41.	hansom	Two-wheeled horse-drawn cab.
42.	hearth	Floor area before a fireplace.
43.	homespun	Plain cloth made at home.
44.	hoopskirt	Skirt held wide by hoops.
45.	icebox	Old refrigerator cooled by ice.
46.	inkwell	Small container for writing ink.
47.	jodhpurs	Riding trousers tight below knees.
48.	kerosene	Oil used as fuel for lamps.
49.	kiln	Oven for firing pottery or bricks.
50.	knell	Bell sound for a death.
51.	larder	Room or cupboard for food storage.
52.	ledger	Book for recording accounts.
53.	leech	Bloodsucking worm once used medically.
54.	linen	Cloth woven from flax.
55.	linseed	Flax seed used for oil.
56.	loom	Machine for weaving cloth.
57.	mail coach	Coach carrying mail and passengers.
58.	mangle	Machine for pressing laundry.
59.	mantel	Shelf above a fireplace.
60.	matchbook	Small paper folder of matches.
61.	milliner	Person who makes or sells hats.
62.	mortar	Bowl used with a pestle.
63.	oil lamp	Lamp burning oil for light.
64.	oilcloth	Waterproof cloth treated with oil.
65.	outhouse	Outdoor toilet building.
66.	pail	Bucket, often with a handle.
67.	parasol	Light umbrella for shade.
68.	parlor	Formal sitting room.
69.	peddler	Traveling seller of goods.
70.	pestle	Tool for grinding in a mortar.
71.	petticoat	Underskirt worn beneath a skirt.
72.	phonograph	Early machine for playing records.
73.	pitchfork	Long-handled fork for hay.
74.	plowshare	Cutting blade of a plow.
75.	pocket watch	Watch carried in a pocket.
76.	quill	Feather used as a pen.
77.	ragamuffin	Poorly dressed child.
78.	reticule	Small woman’s handbag.
79.	rickshaw	Small passenger cart pulled by person.
80.	rumble seat	Folding seat at back of car.
81.	sarsaparilla	Old-fashioned sweet soft drink.
82.	scuttle	Container for carrying coal.
83.	seamstress	Woman who sews professionally.
84.	shilling	Old British coin worth twelve pence.
85.	sideboard	Dining-room cabinet for dishes.
86.	snuff	Powdered tobacco sniffed through nose.
87.	spindle	Rod used for spinning thread.
88.	spittoon	Receptacle for spit, especially tobacco.
89.	tallow	Rendered animal fat for candles.
90.	tavern	Inn or bar serving drinks.
91.	telegraph	System sending messages by wire.
92.	thimble	Finger cap used while sewing.
93.	tinderbox	Box holding materials for starting fires.
94.	trivet	Stand for hot pots.
95.	tureen	Large covered dish for soup.
96.	valise	Small suitcase.
97.	washboard	Ridged board for scrubbing clothes.
98.	waterwheel	Wheel turned by moving water.
99.	whetstone	Stone for sharpening blades.
100.	yoke	Harness joining draft animals.