Chapter 17-18 Vocab

Question 1

nebulous

Answer 1

lacking definition or definite content; vague, unclear, or ill-defined; lacking definite form or limits

Question 2

bilge

Answer 2

The lowest part of a ship where the sides curve in to form the bottom; water that collects there, often due to leakage; or the process of taking in water or causing a ship to leak

Question 3

rabble

Answer 3

A disorderly, unruly crowd of people; often used in a disparaging manner to refer to the common people

Question 4

levee

Answer 4

an embankment or barrier built to prevent a river from overflowing; also refers to a pier or embankment for docking on a river

Question 5

cauterize

Answer 5

to burn, sear, or freeze tissue using a hot iron or electric current, often to stop bleeding or prevent infection; can also mean to make insensitive or callous, either physically or morally

Question 6

strumpet

Answer 6

a derogatory term for a woman, particularly one who engages in promiscuous sexual behavior; often used to refer to an adulterous woman

Question 7

ramshackle

Answer 7

describing something that is poorly constructed, falling apart, or in a state of disrepair; rickety and likely to collapse or disintegrate

Question 8

dregs

Answer 8

the sediment or waste material that settles at the bottom of a liquid, such as the last remnants of a drink; often used metaphorically to refer to the most undesirable or worthless parts of something

Question 9

abashed

Answer 9

feeling embarrassed, ashamed, or self-conscious; having a sense of unease or awkwardness

Question 10

inscrutable

Answer 10

difficult or impossible to understand, interpret, or explain; mysterious or impenetrable in nature