short stories vocab Flashcards
Profusely
1) adverb 2) exhibiting great abundance; bountiful 3) “The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (738).
Boisterous
1) adverb 2) (of a person, event, or behavior) noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy. 3) “The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.”(768)
Reprimand
1) noun 2) a rebuke, especially an official one. 3) “The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.”(768)
Civic
1) adjective 2) relating to a city or town, especially its administration; municipal. 3) “The lottery was conducted – as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween
programby Mr. Summers who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.” (739)
Jovial
1) adjective 2) cheerful and friendly. 3) “He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him because he had no children and his wife was a scold.”(739)
Paraphernalia
1) noun 2) miscellaneous articles, especially the equipment needed for a particular activity. 3) “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.”(739)
I go Perfunctory
1) adjective 2) (of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection. 3) “There was the proper swearing in of Mr. Summers by the postmaster, as the official of the lottery; at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory. tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year; some people believed that the official of the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it, others believed that he was supposed to walk among the people, but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse.” (740)
Interminably
1) adverb 2) having or seeming to have no end 3) . Mr. Summers was very good at all this; in his clean white shirt and blue jeans, with one hand resting carelessly on the black box, he seemed very proper and important as he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the Martins.(740)
Surly
1) Adjective 2) bad tempered and unfriendly 3) “I’d much rather go to the pool or to the show where it’s cool. So me and Sugar leaning on the mailbox being surly, which is a Miss Moore word.” (196)
Ferocious
1) adjective 2) savagely fierce, cruel, or violent. 3) “But then he tries to take off with Junebug foot still in the door so we talk about his mama something ferocious.” (197)
Notion
1) noun 2) a conception of or belief about something. 3) “And Big Butt ain’t got the first notion.” (197)
Recitation
1)noun 2)the action of repeating something aloud from memory. 3) “I read it again for myself just in case the group recitation put me in a trance.”(198)
Treachery
:1) noun 2) betrayal of trust; deceptive action or nature. 3) “Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?” Miss Moore is besides herself and I am disgusted with Sugar’s treachery”(201)
Furtive
1) adjective 2) attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive. 3) “Furtive boys in pink shirts hanging about on washday after school.”(169)
Cowering
1)verb 2)crouch down in fear. 3)”She stoops down quickly and snaps off picture after picture of me sitting there in front of the house with Maggie cowering behind me.”(170)
Doctrines
1) noun 2) a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group. 3)”Hakim-a-barber said, ‘I accept some of their doctrines, but farming and raising cattle is not my style.’”(171)
Clabber
1) noun 2) milk that has naturally clotted on souring. 3)”She jumped up from the table and went over in the corner where the churn stood, the milk in it clabber by now.”(171)
Dasher
1) noun 2) a plunger for agitating cream in a churn. 3) “‘Uh huh,’ she said happily. ‘And I want the dasher, too.’”
Heritage
1) noun 2) property that is or may be inherited; an inheritance. 3) “‘Your heritage,’ she said, And then she turned to Maggie, kissed her, and said, ‘You ought to try to make something of yourself too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us…”
Trifles
1) noun 2) a thing of little value or importance. 3) “‘Oh, well,’ said Mrs. Hale’s husband, with good-natured superiority, ‘women are used to worrying over trifles.’”(821)
Disdainful
1) adjective 2) showing contempt or lack of respect. 3) “Then, as if releasing herself from something strange, Mrs. Hale began to arrange the dirty pans under the sink, which 5 the county attorney’s disdainful push of the foot had deranged.”(823)
Acquiescence
1) noun 2) the reluctant acceptance of something without protest 3) “‘Of course it’s no more than their duty,’ said the sheriff’s wife, in her manner of timid acquiescence.”
Detained
1) verb 2) keep (someone) from proceeding; hold back 3) “Mrs. Hale stood examining the clothes the woman who was being detained in town had said she wanted.”
Shabby
1) adjective 2) in poor condition through long or hard use or lack of care 3) “‘Wright was close!’ she exclaimed, holding up a shabby black skirt that bore the marks of much making over.”(824)
