TKAM Ch. 1-2 Vocabulary Flashcards
Predilection
a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.
ex. “The misery of that house began many years before Jem and I were born. The
Radleys, welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection
unforgivable in Maycomb.”
Eccentric
(of a person or their behavior) unconventional and slightly strange.
ex. “Thus we came to know Dill as a pocket Merlin, whose head teemed
with eccentric plans, strange longings, and quaint fancies.”
Talcum
a cosmetic or toilet preparation consisting of the mineral talc in powdered form, typically perfumed.
ex. “Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps,
and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.”
Imprudent
not showing care for the consequences of an action; rash.
ex. “The Haverfords were imprudent enough to do it in the presence of three witnesses, and insisted that the-son-of-a-bitch-had-it-coming-to-him was a good enough defense for anybody.”
Foray
a sudden attack or incursion into enemy territory, especially to obtain something; a raid.
ex. “Jem threw open the gate and sped to the side of the house, slapped it with his palm and ran back past us, not waiting to see if his foray was successful.”
Strictures
a restriction on a person or activity.
ex. “Mindful of John Wesley’s strictures on the use of many words in buying and selling, Simon made a pile practicing medicine, but in this pursuit he was unhappy.”
Dictum
a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle.
ex. “So Simon, having forgotten his teacher’s dictum on the possession of human chattels, bought three slaves and with their aid established a homestead on the banks of the Alabama River some forty miles above Saint Stephens.”
Piety
the quality of being religious or reverent.
ex. “All we had
was Simon Finch, a fur-trapping apothecary from Cornwall whose piety was
exceeded only by his stinginess.”
Domiciled
reside or be based.
ex. “the Cunninghams from Old Sarum, an
enormous and confusing tribe domiciled in the northern part of the county, and they formed the nearest thing to a gang ever seen in Maycomb.”
Chattels
an item of property other than real estate.
ex. “So Simon, having forgotten his teacher’s dictum on the possession of human chattels, bought three slaves and with their aid established a homestead on the banks of the Alabama River.”
Repertoire
a stock of plays, dances, or pieces that a performer has regularly performed.
ex. “But by the end of August our repertoire was vapid from countless reproductions.”
Nebulous
(of a concept or idea) unclear, vague, or ill-defined.
ex. “Boo’s transition from the basement to back home was nebulous in Jem’s memory.”
Apothecary
a person who prepared and sold medicines and drugs.
ex. “All we had
was Simon Finch, a fur-trapping apothecary from Cornwall whose piety was
exceeded only by his stinginess.”
Malevolent
having or showing a wish to do evil to others.
ex. “Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him.”
Unsullied
not spoiled or made impure.
ex. Atticus’s office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard and an unsullied Code of Alabama.
