TKAM Ch. 9-10 Vocabulary Flashcards
Ingenuous
Innocent or Unsuspecting
ex. He was a year older than I, and I avoided him on principle: he enjoyed everything I disapproved of, and disliked my ingenuous diversions.
Trousseau
The clothes, household linen, and other belongings for marriage (collected by a bride).
ex. There went with the house the usual legend about the Yankees: one Finch female, recently engaged, donned her complete trousseau to save it from raiders in the neighborhood;
Ruination
The action of ruining someone or something.
ex. “Yes sir, he did, an’ a lot more. Said Atticus’d be the ruination of the family an’ he let Jem an’ me run wild. . . .”
Gallantly
In a grand or impressive manner
ex. Uncle Jack gallantly bowed me to the bathroom. While he cleaned and bandaged my knuckles, he entertained me with a tale about a funny nearsighted old gentleman who had a cat named Hodge
Jetty
Landing stage or small pier at which boats can dock.
ex. Finch’s Landing consisted of three hundred and sixty-six steps down a high bluff and ending in a jetty.
Guilelessness
State of being simple and sincere
ex. The internal arrangements of the Finch house were indicative of Simon’s guilelessness and the absolute trust with which he regarded his offspring.
Obstreperous
Resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner.
Noisy and difficult to control
ex. Uncle Jack put his hands on his hips and looked down at me. “And why do I not understand children, Miss Jean Louise? Such conduct as yours required little understanding. It was obstreperous, disorderly, and abusive-“
Invective
An insulting or abusive word or expression.
ex. I waited, on tenterhooks, for Uncle Jack to tell Atticus my side of it. But he didn’t. He simply murmured, “Her use of bathroom invective leaves nothing to the imagination. But she doesn’t know the meaning of half she says-she asked me what a whore-lady was . . .”
Rudiments
Basics/fundamentals
ex. When he gave us our air-rifles Atticus wouldn’t teach us to shoot. Uncle Jack instructed us in the rudiments thereof; he said Atticus wasn’t interested in guns.
Erratically
Unpredictably
ex. Tim Johnson was not much more than a speck in the distance, but he was closer to us. He walked erratically, as if his right legs were shorter than his left legs.
Vehemently
Forceful/intense
ex. “Mr. Finch, this is one-shot job.”
Atticus shook his head vehemently: “Don’t just stand there, Heck! He won’t wait all day for you-“
“For God’s sake, Mr. Finch, look where he is! Miss and you’ll go straight into the Radley house! I can’t shoot that well and you know it!”
Nauseating
causing or liable to cause a feeling of nausea or disgust; disgusting.
He walked quickly, but I thought he moved like an underwater swimmer: time had slowed to a nauseating crawl.
Jubilantly
Happily
ex. Jem picked up a rock and threw it jubilantly at the carhouse. Running after it, he called back: “Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!”
Foliage
Green plants
ex. Tim Johnson was advancing at a snail’s pace, but he was not playing or sniffing at foliage: he seemed dedicated to one course and motivated by an invisible force that was inching him toward us
Alist
Tilted to the side
ex. We could see him shiver like a horse shedding flies; his jaw opened and shut; he was alist, but he was being pulled gradually toward us.
