Word-Meanings

Flamingo
Chapters
Chapter 1 The Last Lesson
1. A great bustle: a lot of noise created by many people
2. Apprentice: trainee
3. At one stroke: at once, in one go.
4. Beetles: a large-sized insect
5. Blushed: face turned red in colour due to shame
6. Bulletin-board: a notice board for putting up the latest news and communication
7. Choked: became unable to speak due to strong emotions
8. Commotion: noise and confusion
9. Cooed: the sound made by the pigeons
10. Couldn’t give up: cannot leave
11. Counted on: depended upon
12. Cranky: strange, short – tempered
13. Dreadful: frightening
14. Drilling: exercising
15. Fix in his mind: store or keep forever
16. Gazing: looking intently
17. Gesture: a signal
18. Grave: serious
19. In great dread of: fear of
20. In unison: at the same time
21. Mixed up: confused
22. Not even the littlest ones: refers to the pigeons
23. Nuisance: problem, burden
24. Pale: used to describe a person’s face or skin if it has less colour than usual
25. Pretend: show
26. Primer: basic reader of any language
27. Rapping: striking
28. Resist: to stay away
29. Saar: a river which passes through France
30. Sawmill: a factory for cutting wood
31. Solemn: serious.
32. Sunday clothes: the best dress that a person has.
33. Tempting: attracting
34. Thumbed: torn and damaged
35. Thunderclap: used in comparison to refer to something startling or unexpected
36. To reproach: blame
37. Trumpets: a musical instrument.
38. Twined: twisted
39. Who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks: scratching with their claws
40. Wretches: here, it refers to an unfortunate happening

Chapter 2 Lost Spring – Stories of Stolen Childhood

Story 1 – ‘Sometimes I find a Rupee in the garbage’

1. Abound – exist in large numbers

2. Acquaintance – contact
3. Amidst – in the middle of
4. barefoot – wearing nothing in the feet
5. Bleak – empty
6. Bother – worry
7. Content – satisfied
8. Desolation – the state of being empty
9. Discarded – thrown away
10. Embarrassed – feeling ashamed
11. Excuse – a reason to justify a fault
12. Glibly – speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty
13. He would have a hard time believing it – it would be difficult for him to believe that his name
meant ‘the Lord of the Universe’
14. Hollow – meaningless
15. Lighting up – show joy and happiness
16. Metaphorically–symbolically
17. Mutters – to speak in a low voice
18. Panting – taking short and quick breathes
19. Periphery- outer area
20. Permits – legal documents
21. Perpetual state of poverty – never ending condition of being poor
22. Scrounging – searching for
23. Shuffles – slides them over each other
24. Squatters – a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land
25. Tarpaulin- heavy-duty waterproof cloth
26. Tattered – torn
27. Transit homes – a temporary home
28. Wilderness- a wasteland

Story 2 – “I want to drive a car”

1. Amidst – in the middle of

2. Apathy – lack of concern
3. Auspiciousness – good omen
4. Baggage – burden
5. Bangs – hits
6. Beam – shine brightly
7. Brightness of their eyes – here, refers to the power to see
8. Bureaucrats – government officials
9. Choked – blocked
10. Coexisting – present at the same time and place
11. Crumbling – falling down
12. Dawn on her – she will realize
13. Daylight hours – hours of the day when there is sunlight
14. Destiny – fate
15. Dingy – dark, dim
16. Distinct – separate
17. Drab – faded, colourless
18. Draped – covered
19. Echo – repeat
20. Furnaces – a closed room or container where heat is produced
21. Glass-blowing industry – industry related to making glass
22. God-given lineage – here, a profession carried on through the generations of a family – glass
bangle making
23. Greed – intense and selfish desire for something
24. Hauled up – dragged, taken away
25. Hovels – slums
26. Hurtling down – moving around
27. Imposed – forced upon
28. Impoverished – very poor
29. Labour – hard work
30. Lament – complaint
31. Looking straight into my eyes – with confidence and determination
32. Looms like a mirage – seems that it will be true in the future but actually it will not be so
33. Mind – numbing – boring
34. Mounds – heaps
35. Piled – kept one on top of the other
36. Primeval – prehistoric
37. Reaped – received as a benefit
38. Renovate – repair
39. Rings – a sound which is repeated
40. Sanctity – the state of being sacred or holy
41. Ser – a unit of measuring quantity
42. Shanty town – a town that is full of small, roughly built huts
43. Slog – work hard
44. Soldering – joining
45. Spiral – here, a never-ending continuous process
46. Stigma – dishonor
47. Stinking – bad smell
48. To dare – do something courageous
49. Toil – physical hard work done to earn a living
50. Tongs – an instrument with two moveable arms joined at one end
51. Unkempt – not taken care of
52. Veil – a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or hide the face, cover or hide
53. Vicious – cruel
54. Volunteers – freely offers to do something
55. Welding – joining
56. Welding – the process of joining metal or glass pieces by heating them
57. Withdraws – goes back
58. Wobbly – unsteady
59. Yard – the open area at the back of the house

Chapter 3 Deep Water

1. Ached – pained
2. Aping – copying
3. Aversion – dislike
4. Bob – jump
5. Bruiser – a person who is tough and aggressive and enjoys a fight or argument
6. Cable – thick rope
 7. Canoes – small boats
8. Cascades – waterfall
9. Ceased – ended
10. Choked – unable to breathe
11. Command – order
12. Curtain of life fell – life came to an end
13. Deprived – to take away
14. Dizzy – faint, unsteady
15. Drop – slope from the shallow area to the deep area
16. Ducked – push or plunge someone under water
17. Expending – losing, giving out
18. Flailed – waved his hands
19. Handicap – a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult
20. In the midst of – between
21. Knocked me down – threw him down
22. Limp – lifeless
23. Miniature – small size
24. Oblivion – the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around one
25. Panic – fear
26. Paralysed – incapable of movement
27. Pounding – repeated beating
28. Pride – self-respect
29. Revived – brought back to mind
30. Rigid – hard
31. Ruined – destroyed
32. Seized – gripped
33. Seized – gripped
34. Shed – removed
35. Shrieking – screaming
36. Skinny – a thin person
37. Skinny – thin
38. Slack – to reduce
39. Specimen – example
40. Spring – push
41. Stark – severe
42. Strategy – plan of action
43. Strike out – extend
44. Stroke – a particular style of moving the arms and legs in swimming
45. Subdued – to overcome
46. Suffocating – unable to breathe due to lack of air
47. Summoned – gathered
48. Surf – wave of the sea
49. Thrash – hit with force
50. Throbbed – felt pain in a series of beats
51. Tinge – touch of colour
52. To feel at ease – to feel comfortable
53. Tossed – threw
54. Treacherous – dangerous
55. Vestiges – traces
56. Water wings – A pair of inflatable waterproof bags designed so that one can be attached to each
arm, especially of a child learning to swim
57. Wits – intelligence
58. Wobbly – weak
59. Y.M.C.A. – Young Men’s Christian Association
60. Yakima – a place in Washington, USA
61. Yell – scream

Chapter 4 The Rattrap

1. Acquaintance: associate
2. Alarmed: Frighten
3. Amazement: wonder
4. Anvil: a heavy iron block with a flat top and concave sides
5. Apprentice: learner
6. Astonished: greatly surprised
7. Bait: Food placed on a hook to trap a rat, here it is referred to the comforts of life, which is
offered to trap someone
8. Barge: a long flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers.
9. Bellows: air bag that emits a stream of air used for blowing air into a fire.
10. Bossy: Latin word ‘bos’ used for a cow
11. Boundless: limitless
12. Carved off: to divide something into parts
13. Cherished: to love, protect
14. Clatter: bang
15. Compassionately: showing sympathy for others
16. Comrade: A fellow soldier
17. Confidences: Secrets
18. Creamery: A factory that produces cheese and cream
19. Crofter: A person who works on a rented farm
20. Deigned: do something that one considers to be beneath one’s dignity
21. Despair: hopelessness
22. Dissimulate: pretend
23. Downhill: worst
24. Dreary: dull
25. Embarrassed: awkward, shy
26. Fist: A person’s hand bent
27. Flesh on his bones: here it means that the seller should eat good food to gain some flesh on
his body
28. Forebodings: a foretelling
29. Forge: A shop where metal is heated
30. Generous: liberal
31. Gleamed: Shone
32. Gloom: dark
33. Groomed: ready
34. Haughty: arrogant
35. Hesitating: to be reluctant
36. Impenetrable: impassable
37. In a good season: early enough
38. Inconspicuously: invisible or which is not noticeable
39. Incredulous: unbelieving
40. Interceded: intervened
41. Kronor: Currency of Sweden
42. Manor house: A large country house
43. Maw: jaws
44. Mjolis: a game played with playing cards
45. Modest: humble
46. Monotonous: boring
47. Odd Moments: A short period of free time.
48. Parson: Churchman
49. Peddler: seller
50. Perspiration: sweat
51. Ploddings: walk heavily
52. Plods: walks heavily
53. Preach: advice
54. Prominent: Important
55. Prosperity: riches
56. Puckered: wrinkle
57. Queer: strange
58. Ragamuffin: A person in rags
59. Regiment: unit in the army or defence forces
60. Rolling mill: machine to roll metal into sheets
61. Scow: a flat-bottomed boat used for transporting cargo to and from ships in harbor.
62. Sheriff: chief executive officer of crown (in England)
63. Shoveled: move
64. Sifted: descended lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve
65. Slouch hat: hat bend on one side of the head.
66. Smashed: badly broken
67. Smelter: A machine in which metal is melted to form into a shape
68. Snare: trap
69. Sooty panes: window panes covered in soot ( black powder produced when coal, wood etc is
burned.
70. Splendor: luxury
71. Stagger: To walk with difficulty
72. Starched collar: Starch is the stuff that makes your shirt collar look crisp and fresh.
73. Stuffed: to fill up with something
74. Summoned: gathered
75. Sunken: lowered
76. Tempted: convinced
77. Thickets: A dense group of bushes
78. Thumping: the sound of some heavy object beating
79. Thundered: make a loud noise
80. Tramp: vagabond, wanderer
81. Trudging: walking slowly
82. Undeceive: to tell someone that his belief is mistaken
83. Vagabond: wanderer
84. Valet: personal attendant
85. Whipped: beaten with a whip, here to hit something
86. Whole shoes: Proper fitted shoes
87. Wretch: miserable person

Chapter 5 Indigo
1. Abandoned: deserted, inhibited
2. Abstractions: something which exists only as an idea.
3. Accompanied: go along with someone
4. Accompanied: go somewhere with (someone) as a companion or escort
 5. Adamant: firm
6. Advent: arrival
7. Advocate: supporter, protector
8. Alleviate: uplift
9. Amazement: surprise
10. Apparently: seemingly, evidently
11. Arable: land suitable for farming
12. Arrangement: Process
13. Assembled: gathered
14. Associates: supporters
15. Authorities: officials, power
16. Baffled: confused
17. bail: an amount of money that a person who has been accused of a crime pays to a law court so
that they can be released until their trial.
18. Boarded: get on, enter
19. Bully: trying to harm others considering them to be weak
20. Cawnpore: British name for the city of Kanpur
21. Champaran: A place in Bihar
22. Chided: criticize, scold
23. Civil Disobedience: peaceful form of political protest
24. Committed: dedicated
25. Compelled: forced
26. Compensation: payments
27. Complied: followed or obeyed
28. Conclusion: result, end of something
29. Concrete: solid
30. Conferred: granted
31. Conflict: to be against someone
32. Conscience: sense of right and wrong
33. Consequence: result
34. Consultations: discussion
35. Contented: willing to accept something, satisfied
36. Contract: agreement
37. Convention: agreement
38. Conveyance: transportation
39. Courthouse: court building
40. Deadlock: a situation in which no progress can be made
41. Deceitfully: dishonestly
42. Defenders: protector
43. Defiance: opposition
44. Delegates: Representatives
45. Demonstrations: protest
46. Depositions: a formal written statement
47. Desertion: action of leaving a place, organization etc
48. Distress: torture
49. Dreaded: regarded with great fear or apprehension
50. Emaciated: thin
51. En route: on the way
52. Entreaty: an earnest or humble request
53. Eruptions: here, a spot, rash, or other mark appearing suddenly on the skin.
54. Estate: property
55. Estates: property
56. Evidence: proof
57. Extorted: took forcibly
58. Extraordinary: exceptional, remarkable
59. Fear stricken: afraid
60. Forthwith: immediately, at once
61. Grievances: complaints
62. Guilty: at fault
63. Harbour: here, entertain
64. Haunches: thighs
65. Hitherto: Earlier, Previously
66. Humanitarian: Concerned with human welfare
67. Illiterate: uneducated
68. Imparting: pass on, giving
69. Indigo: plant that produces a blue color
70. Influential: powerful
71. Initial: at the start
72. Injustice: unfairness
73. Instructions: orders, commands
74. Intertwined: twisted, braided, knitted
75. Investigations: inquiries
76. Investigators: the inspectors
77. Irksome: irritating
78. Justified: marked by a good or legitimate reason
79. Leading: prominent, popular
80. Learned: come to know
81. Liberation: release
 82. Liberty: free
83. Lieutenant-Governor: deputy governor
84. Magistrate: civil officer who administers law
85. Maltreated: ill treat
86. Merely: only
87. Miserable: unhappy, sad
88. Multitude: a large number of people
89. Obliged: required, made legally bound to do something
90. Overtook: went ahead of him
91. Pacifist: Peace maker
92. Peasant: small farmer
93. Permitted: allowed
94. Pestered: bother, harass
95. Pleading: the action of making an emotional or earnest appeal to someone
96. Postpone: delay
97. Prestige: honour, esteem
98. Proceeded: begin a course of action
99. Prominent: Important, well known
100. Pronounce: declare or announce
101. Prop: support
102. Prosecutor: Lawyer or barrister
103. Protested: objected, disapproved
104. Protracted: lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.
105. Province: region, territory
106. recess: break
107. Reconvened: to start again after a small break
108. Representative: spokesperson, agent
109. Residents: locals
110. Resisted: opposed, to be against something
111. Resolute: determined
112. Reverted: returned
113. Self Reliance: self sufficiency, self support
114. Sharecroppers: a tenant farmer who gives a part of each crop as rent.
115. Spontaneous: voluntary, unforced
116. Summoned: called
117. Superintendent: Manager, supervisor
118. Surrendered: to give in
119. Sympathy: support, pity
120. Synthetic: Chemical based, artificial
121. Tenacity: determination
122. Tenants: occupants paying rent in cash or kind
123. Throbbed: produced a lot of vibrations due to a huge crowd
124. Thugs: cheats
125. Triumphed: won
126. Unanimously: without opposition
127. Uninterrupted: continuous
128. Unquestioned: not examined or inquired into
129. Upshot: result, conclusion
130. Vehement: showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense.
131. Vehemently: in an intense manner
132. Volunteer: a person who offers his service free of cost
133. Wired: Telegraphed
134. Withdrew: left
135. Yeoman: a man who cultivates a small piece of land

Chapter 6 Poets and Pancakes

1. Affluent: having a great deal of money; wealthy
2. Andre Gide: A French writer, humanist, moralist, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1947.
3. Anglo-Burmese: The Anglo-Burmese people, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a
community of Eurasians of Burmese and European descent, who emerged as a distinct
community through mixed relations between the British and other European settlers and the
indigenous peoples of Burma from 1826 until 1948 when Myanmar gained its independence
from the United Kingdom.
4. Arthur Koestler: A Hungarian born British novelist, known for his novel Darkness at
Noon.
5. Averse: having a strong dislike of or opposition to something
6. Bafflement: confusion, bewilderment
7. Bare: empty
8. Barge in: to walk into a room quickly, without being invited
9. Blew over: to pass by or to end
10. Broadcasting: the transmission of programmes or information by radio or television
11. Catapulted: move suddenly or at great speed
12. Coat of mail:- a protective garment made of linked metal rings (mail) or of overlapping metal
plates
13. Cold logic: logic that fails to consider human factors such as culture, language, social
dynamics, personality and emotion
14. Communism: collectivism, socialism
15. Compunction: reluctance
16. Conjugal: relating to marriage or the relationship between a married couple
17. Conscious: aware
18. Contrary: opposite in nature, direction or meaning
19. Countermovement: a movement or other action made in opposition to another.
20. Countryside: from village
21. Covertly: secretly
22. Crimson hue: deep red colour
23. Critic: a person who judges the merits of literary or artistic works
24. Cubicle: a small partitioned-off area of a room
25. Deftly: effortlessly
26. Deliberately: on purpose
27. Demeanour: manner; attitude
28. Devadasis: In South India, a devadasi is a girl “dedicated” to worship and serve a deity or a
temple for the rest of her life. The system was outlawed in all of India in 1988.
29. Dhoti: a garment worn by male Hindus, consisting of a piece of material tied around the waist
and extending to cover most of the legs
30. Diction: the style of enunciation in speaking or singing; articulation
31. Direst: terrible
32. Drudge: a person made to do hard menial or dull work.
33. Dwarfed: cause to seem small or insignificant in comparison
34. Enlightened: having or showing a rational, modern and well-informed outlook
35. Epics: an exceptionally long and arduous task or activity
36. Etched: here, defined, described
37. Fiery: red-hot; scorching
38. Filial: relating to or due from a son or daughter.
39. Forbidden: not allowed; banned.
40. Forthcoming: about to happen or appear
41. Foul: bad
42. French window: each of a pair of glazed doors in an outside wall, serving as a window and
door, typically opening onto a garden or balcony
43. Genius: an exceptionally intelligent person
44. Genuine: true
45. Haunt: frequently visited by
46. Having a hand in: to be involved with something
47. Hideous: extremely ugly
48. Hierarchy: A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked
according to relative status or authority
49. Homilies: sermon; lecture
50. Hues: complexion
51. Ignazio Silone: An Italian writer, who was the founder member of the Italian communist party
in 1921, and is known for the book. The God That Failed, authored by him.
52. Ignominy: public shame or disgrace
53. Improvident: a person who does not plan his expenses and ends up wasting money
54. Incandescent: emitting light as a result of being heated; burning
55. Incriminating: making someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing.
56. Integration: unification
57. Khadi: an Indian homespun cotton cloth
58. Lead: main
59. Leisure: time when one is not working or occupied; free time
60. Literary: associated with literary works or other formal writing
61. Literati: well-educated people who are interested in literature.
62. Louis Fischer: A well known American journalist and a writer of Mahatma Gandhi’s
biography entitled
63. Loyalty: a strong feeling of support for someone
64. Madras Indian Christian: – a particular caste in Indian Christians of people from Madras who
have been converted to Christianity religion
65. Main players: actors performing the main roles
66. Manuscript: an author’s handwritten or typed text that has not yet been published
67. Mess: a building or room providing meals
68. Misery: a state or feeling of great physical or mental distress or discomfort
69. Overshadowed: was better than
70. Persevering: continuing in a course of action despite difficulty or delay in achieving
success.
71. Perverts: a person whose sexual behaviour is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable.
72. played into their hands – to do something that one does not realize will hurt oneself and help
someone else
73. Potions: a liquid mixture
74. Prerequisite: a thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist
75. Prohibition: the act of forbidding something
76. Pursuit: hobby, activity
77. Refrain: lines that are repeated in poetry
78. Richard Wright: An American writer, known for his novel Native Son and his
autobiography Black Boy.
79. Sneaking into: doing something in a secretive or stealthy way
80. Sophistication: having a good understanding of the way people behave
81. Sprawling: spreading over a large area, detailed
82. Stephen Spender: An English poet essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice
and class struggle.
83. Struck dumb: shocked
84. Subsidiary: secondary, supporting
85. Surmise: guess; suspect
86. Sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously (excessively obedient) towards someone
important in order to gain advantage
87. Tempramental: liable to unreasonable changes of mood.
88. The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. The Oscar winning film Gandhi is based on this
biographical account.
89. Tirade: a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
90. Trapeze: a horizontal bar hanging with two ropes and free to swing, used by acrobats in a circus
91. Unwittingly: unknowingly
92. Vaguely: in a way that is uncertain
93. Virtue: behaviour showing high moral standards; here, good luck
94. Woes: distress

Chapter 7 The Interview

1. Aesthetics: a branch of philosophy that deals with nature and appreciation of beauty
2. Amusement: the provision or enjoyment of entertainment
3. Assault: make a physical attack on
4. Commonplace: not unusual; ordinary
5. Condemnatory: expressing strong disapproval
6. Contemporaries: a person or thing living or existing at the same time as another.
7. Despise: hate, dislike
8. Dissertation: a long essay on a particular subject, especially one written for a university degree
or diploma
9. Elevator: a lift
10. Eliminate: remove
11. Ethical: relating to moral principles
12. Extravagant: excessive or elaborate
13. Fist: a person’s hand when the fingers are bent in towards the palm and held there tightly,
typically in order to strike a blow or grasp something.
14. Formidable: inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense or
capable
15. Frustration: the feeling of being upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or
achieve something
16. H. G. Wells: An English novelist, journalist, sociologist and historian he is known for his
works of science fiction. Wells best known books are The Time Machine, The Invisible Man
and The War of the Worlds.
17. Hypotheses: theory
18. Interstices: space, gap
19. Intrusion: the action of intruding; intervention
20. Joseph Stalin: A great Russian revolutionary and an active political organiser.
21. Lionized: give a lot of public attention and approval
22. Medieval: relating to the Middle Ages
23. Narration: the action or process of narrating a story
24. Ordeal: a very unpleasant and prolonged experience
25. Perpetrated: commited; performed
26. Persistent: continuous
27. Petitioners: a person who asks for something
28. Philosophical: relating or devoted to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality,
and existence.
29. Primitive: ancient, olden
30. Pursue: follow
31. Repel: drive or force back
32. Rudyard Kipling: A prolific writer who was known as the poet of the common soldier.
Kipling’s Jungle Book which is a story of Kimball O’ Hara and his adventures in the
Himalayas is considered as a children’s classic all over the world.
33. Saul Bellow: A playwright as well as a novelist, Bellow’s works were influenced widely by
World War II. Among his most famous characters are Augie March and Moses. He published
short stories translated from Yiddish. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976.
34. Seminal: influential
35. Serviceable: fulfilling its function adequately; usable
36. Staggeringly: to an astonishing or shocking degree
37. Unprecedented: never done or known before
38. Unwarranted: not justified or authorised
39. V. S. Naipaul: Known as a cosmopolitan writer. In his travel books and in his documentary
works he presents his impressions of the country of his ancestors that is India. He received the
Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.
40. Vile: extremely unpleasant
41. Vivid: producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
42. Wrecked: destroyed or severely damaged

Chapter 8 Going Places

 1. Abruptly: suddenly
2. Affections: fondness, love
3. Apparently: seemingly, evidently
4. Applause: clapping
5. Apprentice: learner
6. Approbation: Approval, acceptance
7. Arcade: Gallery
8. Boutique: a small shop selling fashionable clothes
9. Canal: waterway
10. Cape: wrap, stole
11. Chastened: subdue, humble
12. Chuffed: cheerful
13. Cluttered: untidy, litter
14. Component: part, piece
15. Cradled: hold
16. Crooked: bent
17. Crumbling: broken
18. Decent: adequate
19. Despondent: disheartened
20. Disdain: scorn, disrespect
21. Distractions: diversion, disturbance
22. Dragged: pull
23. Earmarked: set aside, reserved
24. Ecstatic: joyful excitement
25. Elapsed: pass, go by
26. Envisage: predict
27. Eruption: explosion
28. Exotic: foreign, non native
29. Exposing: uncover
30. Exultant: overjoyed
31. Fascination: captivation
32. Forbade: ban, prohibit
33. Freckled: pale/brown spot on skin
34. Frowned: angry
35. Frowning: annoyed
36. Gawky: graceless
37. Gazelle: An Asian-African antelope
38. Glared: stare angrily
39. Grimaced: angry
40. Grimy: dirty, soiled
41. Grunt: a low rough noise
42. Hesitant: undecided
43. Hovered: fly
44. Hushed: quiet
45. Inaudible: unheard
46. Incongruity: inappropriate
47. Inquisition: questioning
48. Instinctively: without conscious thought
49. Jeered: tease someone
50. Kneeling: be in a position in which body is supported by knees.
51. Longed: wish
52. Lumbering: moving in awkward way
53. Mates: friends
54. Melancholy: sad
55. Melodious: musical
56. Misery: discomfort
57. Momentarily: briefly
58. Muffed: messed up
59. Nosey: curious
60. Outlying: distant place
61. Pangs: sharp pain
62. Perhaps: maybe
63. Pilgrimage: religious journey, but here their devotion towards football match
64. Prodigy: a young person with exceptional qualities
65. Reddening: blush
66. Resignation: departure, leaving
67. Reverently: with deep respect
68. Row: here, so much noise
69. Scooping: here, eating
70. Sighed: breathe out
71. Solitary elm: single tree (elm is a tall tree)
72. Sophisticated: worldly, Cosmopolitan
73. Startled: sudden shock
74. Stooped: shoulder bent forward
75. Strings: here, group
76. Suspected: guess, think
77. Thunderous: so strong like thunder of cloud
78. Tinkering: repairing
79. Unlikeliest: unexpected, doubtful
80. Wharf: dock
81. Wriggled: twist, turn

Poems
Poem 1 My Mother at Sixty-Six
1. Ashen: pale
2. Beside: alongside
3. Corpse: dead body
4. Doze: nap
5. Pale: dull, colourless
6. Spilling: let out
7. Sprinting: Moving fast
8. Wan: dim, weak

Poem 2 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum

1. Azure: deep blue
2. Blot: to mark with a spot
3. Capes: A large piece of land that sticks out into the sea from the coast
4. Catacombs: tomb, cemetery
5. civilized dome: here, it means rising sun at the horizon which is in the shape of a dome (semi –
circle)
6. Cramped: confined
7. Dawn: early morning, sunrise
8. Donations: things given or received in charity
9. Doom: disaster
10. Gnarled: Knotted, rough
11. Gusty waves: breezy winds
12. heir: Successor
13. lead: here, dark future of kids
14. Mended: repaired
15. Pallor: pale, dull face
16. Paper seeming boy: Very thin boy, as thin as a sheet of paper
17. Sealed: shut or locked
18. Slag: weak
19. Slyly: trickily
20. Sour: unpleasant, here refers to the colour of sour cream -off white or creamish
21. Stunted: not fully grown due to malnutrition
22. Tempted: persuade
23. Tyrolese valley: A beautiful ice-free valley in Austria
24. weeds: unwanted plants that grow on their own
25. Wicked: evil

Poem 3 Keeping Quiet

1. Exotic – unusual

Poem 4 A Thing of Beauty

1. Boon: blessing
2. Bower: A shady place under the tree
3. Brake: a process to slow down
4. Brink: edge
5. Despondence: depressed
6. Gloomy: sad
7. Grandeur: high rank or socially important
8. Immortal: never dying
9. Mighty: enormous
10. Morrow: The following day
11. Rills: a small stream
12. Wreathing: surround, encircle

Poem 5 A Roadside Stand

1. Beast of Prey: an animal killing other animal
2. Beneficent: generous or doing good
3. Crossly: in an annoyed or angry way
4. Dole of Bread: a tiny portion of bread
5. In vain: without success or a result
6. Kin: One’s family and relations
 7. Lurk: to wait somewhere secretly
8. Marred: Spoilt
9. Out of their wits: their perplexed or terrified state
10. Pathetically: in a way that arouses pity, especially by displaying sadness
11. Plow: move in a fast and uncontrolled manner
12. Requisite: required/needed
13. Sane: sensible/realistic
14. Squash: here fruit
15. Warts: A small growth on the outer surface

Vistas
Chapter 1 – The Third Level
1. Arched- curved
2. Bumping- knock or run into something
3. Ducked- lower the head or body quickly
4. Fussing- show unnecessary or excessive concern about something
5. Gabardine- a smooth, durable, twill-woven worsted or cotton cloth
6. Locomotive- a powered railway vehicle used for pulling trains
7. Snapped- break suddenly and completely
8. Spittoons- a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top, used for spitting
into
9. Stack- a pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged
10. Suburban- residential
11. Timetables- a schedule showing the departure and arrival times of trains, buses or aircraft
12. Vest- a garment worn on the upper part of the body
13. Waking dream- an involuntary dream occuring while a person is awake
14. Wander- walk; roam

Chapter 2 – The Tiger King

1. Adorned: make more beautiful or attractive.
2. Alarmingly: in a worrying or disturbing way.
3. Ambition: a strong desire to do or achieve something.
4. Ascertained: make sure of.
 5. Astonishing: extremely surprising or impressive
6. Astrologers: a person who predicts future.
7. Babble: talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way.
8. Bafflement: to confuse, bewilder
9. Banned: officially or legally prohibit
10. Bare: not clothed or covered.
11. Beware: be cautious and alert to risks or dangers.
12. Boundless: unlimited or immense.
13. Brandishing: wave or flourish something as a threat or in anger or excitement.
14. Carcass: the dead body of an animal.
15. Carved: cut or engraved to produce an object, design, or inscription.
16. Catastrophic: involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering.
17. Compelled: forced to do something.
18. Confiscated: taken or seized with authority.
19. Court of Wards: consisted of members to protect heirs and their estates when the heir was
deemed to be a minor and incapable of acting independently.
20. Crumpled: crushed to form creases and wrinkles.
21. Deliberations: long and careful consideration or discussion.
22. Demise: death
23. Dewan: governing body.
24. Dispelled: make a doubt, feeling, or belief disappear.
25. Drawled: speak in a slow, lazy way with prolonged vowel sounds.
26. Durai: Chief leader (English officer)
27. Duraisaini: Wife of the english officer
28. Elation: great happiness and exhilaration.
29. Emerged: become apparent or prominent.
30. Enunciated: say or pronounce clearly
31. Erected: put together and set upright
32. Exemption: state of being free from an obligation
33. Flared: having a shape that widens progressively towards the end or bottom.
34. Fling: throw or hurl forcefully.
35. Flout: openly disregard a rule, law, or convention
36. Fonder: having an affection or liking for.
37. Forthwith: immediately; without delay.
38. Fury: wild or violent anger.
39. Growl: make a low guttural sound in the throat.
40. Harakiri: ritual suicide by disembowelment with a sword
41. Hastened: be quick to do something.
42. Hasty: hurried.
43. Haul: pull or drag with effort or force.
44. Heap: an untidy collection of objects placed haphazardly on top of each other.
45. Hindsight: understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or
developed.
46. Humble: having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s importance.
47. Hurdle: a problem or difficulty that must be overcome.
48. Imperative: vital importance
49. Incoherent: expressed in an incomprehensible or confusing way
50. Indomitable: impossible to defeat.
51. Infant: a very young child
52. Inhabiting: live in or occupy a place or environment.
53. Innumerable: too many to be counted
54. Intention: an aim or plan.
55. Intently: with earnest and eager attention.
56. Leapt: jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force.
57. Majesty: royal power.
58. Miracle: or an outstanding example of something.
59. Mounted: riding an animal
60. Nanny: a person, typically a woman, employed to look after a child in its own home.
61. Native: associated with a place by birth
62. Obstinacy: stubbornness.
63. Phrase: put into a particular form of words.
64. Possessed: have as belonging to one
65. Prey: an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food
66. Procession: a number of people or vehicles moving forward in an orderly fashion,
especially as part of a ceremony.
67. Proclamation: a public or official announcement dealing with a matter of great
importance.
68. Pronounced: very noticeable
69. Prophets: proclaimer of the will of God.
70. Quake: shake or tremble.
71. Quills: the hollow sharp spines of a porcupine, hedgehog, or other spiny mammal.
72. Relented: become less severe or intense.
73. Resolve: decide firmly on a course of action.
74. Retreat: withdrawing
75. Rife: of common occurrence
76. Savage: fierce, violent, and uncontrolled.
77. Shoved: make one’s way by pushing someone or something.
78. Shuddering: tremble convulsively
79. Slivers: a small, thin, narrow piece of something cut or split off a larger piece.
80. Squeaky: having or making a high-pitched sound or cry.
81. Standstill: a situation or condition in which there is no movement or activity at all.
82. Stuka bomber: German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft.
83. Stupefaction: make someone unable to think or feel properly.
84. Summoned: order someone to be present.
85. Supplication: the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.
86. Suppurating: undergo the formation of pus
87. Tally: a current score or amount
88. Thrilled: cause someone to have a sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure.
89. Throne: a ceremonial chair for a sovereign
90. Transfixed: cause (someone) to become motionless with horror, wonder, or
astonishment.
91. Tuft: a bunch or collection of threads, grass, hair, etc., held or growing together at the base.
92. Unforeseen: not anticipated or predicted.
93. Vital: essential.
94. Vowed: solemnly promise to do a specified thing.
95. Wandered: walk or move in a leisurely or aimless way.
96. Wantonly: in a deliberate and unprovoked way.
97. Wary: feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
98. Whizzing: move quickly through the air with a whistling or buzzing sound.

Chapter3 – Journey to the End of the Earth

1. Austral: relating to the Southern Hemisphere
2. Avalanche: snowslide
3. Blasé: unimpressed with or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it
so often before
4. Calving: split and shed
5. Consecrates: make or declare sacred
6. Cordilleran folds: an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges
7. Desolate: (of a place) uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness
8. Ecospheres: parts of the universe habitable by living organisms
9. Etching: engraved
10. Expansive: covering wide area in terms of space or scope; extensive
11. Frigid: very cold in temperature
12. Immersion: submerge
13. Isolation: separation
14. Landmass: a continent or other large body of land
15. Mind-boggling: overwhelming; startling
16. Paltry: petty; insignificant
17. Precambrian granite shields: large areas of relatively low elevation that forms part of
continental masses
18. Pristine: in its original condition; unspoilt
19. Profound: very great or intense
20. Prognosis: a forecast of the likely outcome of a situation
21. Ruckus: a row or commotion
22. Supercontinent: a former large continent from which other continents are held to have broken
off and drifted away
23. Surreal: unusual; bizzare
24. Thrived: prosper; flourish
25. Ubiquitous: everywhere; pervasive
26. Unmitigated: unconditional

Chapter 4 – The Enemy

1. A stain of red: blood stain
2. Absolute state: a state run by kings having total powers
3. Amazement: surprise
4. Anatomy: the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and
other living organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
5. Anatomy: the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and
other living organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
6. Anesthetic: a substance that induces insensitivity to pain
7. Apologise: feel sorry
8. Assassins: professional killers
9. Assuage: decrease, reduce
10. Battered: torn and worn out
11. Beachcomber: a vagrant who makes a living by searching beaches for articles of value and
selling them
12. Beginning to stir: gaining consciousness.
13. Bitter: unpleasant
14. Blond: light – coloured, yellowish colour
15. Blond: of light colour
16. Bluntly: in a straight – forward manner
17. Boughs: branches of trees
18. Briskly: quickly
19. Burden: here, it refers to a dead body.
20. By word of mouth: people tell it to each other rather than it being printed in written form.
21. Cardinal: basic, first
22. Cares of his life: problems and responsibilities that he faced during his life
23. Chilled: freeze due to cold weather
24. Chrysanthemum: a flower
25. Compelled: forced
26. Comprehending: understanding
27. Concise: short
28. Consequence: result
29. Contemptuously: disrespectfully
30. Conviction: firm belief
31. Courteously: politely
32. Crept: crawled
33. Crimson: bright red colour
34. Cross: angry, disappointed
35. Crouched: sit in a squatting position
36. Dereliction: failure to perform one’s duty
37. Despised: hated
38. Dignity: respect
39. Dismayed: shocked
40. Distress: sadness
41. Dragged: pulled
42. Dusk: the time of sunset
43. Eaves: part of the roof that meets or overhangs the wall of a building
44. Ebbing: decreasing gradually
45. Execution: legal punishment
46. Fathom: a unit of measuring the depth of the sea.
47. Feeble: weak
48. Fierce: dangerous
49. Flashlight: torch
50. Fluttered: trembled
51. Fortifying: putting security at a place
52. Fowl: cock, hen
53. Gall bladder: the small sac-shaped organ beneath the liver, in which bile is stored after
secretion by the liver and before release into the intestine.
54. Gasped: to catch one’s breathe due to astonishment
55. Gasping: struggling to breathe, unable to speak
56. Gaunt: gloomy, weak
57. Gay: happy
58. Grateful: thankful
59. Grieving: in a state of sadness
60. Gripping: holding tightly
61. Guts: informal word for bravery and determination
62. Haggard: looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.
63. Haori: a loose outer garment worn over the kimono.
64. Heedlessly: carelessly
65. Her face the colour of sulphur: sulphur is a yellow coloured element. The clause means that her
face became pale – yellowish in colour.
66. Hesitated: paused in indecision before saying or doing something.
67. Horizon: the line at which the earth’s surface and the sky appear to meet, skyline
68. Hypodermic: needle, syringe, injection
69. Impulsive: sudden, thoughtless
70. impulsively: to do something suddenly without thinking
71. Incisions: surgical cuts
72. Inclined: bent towards one side
73. Indispensable: necessary
74. Inert: motionless
75. Infected: affected
76. Influenza: a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever
77. Kerchief: square piece of cloth
78. Kimono: a traditional Japanese garment.
79. Knelt: sat on her knees
80. Leaned: bent forward
81. Leaped: jumped
82. Manchuria: Manchuria (Northeast China) is the homeland of the Manchu people. To the
Chinese, the region is simply known as the Northeast. Manchuria is made up of China’s three
north-eastern most provinces: Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.
83. Marred: spoiled
84. Menace: danger, threat
85. Miserable: in poor condition
86. Mistress: a woman in a position of authority or control
87. Moaned: a low cry in pain
88. Moaned: made low, soft sounds due to pain
89. Modern: relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past.
90. Moss: a very small soft green plant
91. Muttered: spoke
 92. Nodded: lower and raise one’s head slightly and briefly, especially in greeting, assent, or
understanding, or to give someone a signal.
93. Nursed him: taken care of him
94. Nursery: a room in a house for the special use of young children.
95. Overwhelmed: full of emotions
96. Paid no heed: did not pay attention to
97. Pallor: an unhealthy pale appearance
98. Partitions: structures dividing a room into parts
99. Patriotism: love for one’s country
100. Pawnshop: a store that lends money in exchange for a valuable thing that they can sell if the
person leaving it does not pay an agreed amount of money by an agreed time
101. Peculiar: strange
102. Pine needles: very thin, sharp leaves that grow on pine trees
103. Piteously: causing you to feel sad and sympathetic
104. Porcelain: a white vitrified translucent ceramic also called China used for making
utensils, pottery, etc.
105. Post: pole
106. Precise: accurate
107. Prejudice: preconceived idea or opinion
108. Prick: slightest amount
109. Probed: searched
110. Profound: very great or intense
111. Pulse: heartbeat
112. Pulse: heartbeat
113. Pulse: heartbeat
114. Quivered: shivered, trembled
115. Raw: uncooked
116. Reason: an idea backed by common sense
117. Refrain: a sound that is repeated time and again
118. Repulsion: a strong dislike
119. Repulsive: awful, terrible
120. Resistance: the refusal to accept or comply with something
121. Retching: vomiting
122. Rose: stood up
123. Rugs: blanket
124. Runs out: finishes
125. Rustling: the sound made by footsteps
126. Ruthless: harsh, merciless
127. Ruthlessness: harshness
128. Saturate: wet
129. Scars: marks
130. Sea moss: a kind of seaweed
131. Sentimentality: being emotional
132. Shaggy: hairy
133. Slatternly: dirty, untidy
134. Solemn: serious and concerned
135. South pacific: the part of the Pacific Ocean that lies in the southern hemisphere.
136. Southern sunshine: the door of the office which opened into the garden faced the South
direction. This means that the sunshine which entered the office was not direct and bright
instead it was a shady sunshine.
137. Spiked: covered with sharp points
138. Springs:
139. Staggered: walk unsteadily as if about to fall
140. Stanch: stop or restrict (a flow of blood) from a wound.
141. Sterilized: disinfected
142. Stoop: bend forward
143. Stout: fat, big
144. Strain: stress
145. Strewed: to be scattered untidily over a place or area
146. Stubbly: unshaven, bearded
147. Stubbornness: firm determination
148. Stupor: a state of unconsciousness
149. Submerged: here, sink into the sea
150. Sulphur: a chemical element used as a disinfectant
151. Summon: to gather
152. Sun drops: the Sun sets
153. Superficial: existing or occurring at or on the surface
154. Superstitious: irrational beliefs
155. Supper: an evening meal, typically a light or informal one.
156. Suspected: doubted
157. Sustained: continued
158. Tended: cared for, looked after
159. The General was in the palm of his hand: he had control of the general
160. There was a faint colour in his cheeks: his pale yellow coloured cheeks were turning pinkish
in colour which indicated that he was recovering
161. Thrust: pushed
162. Timid: showing lack of courage or confidence
163. Tokonoma alcove: The word ‘toko’ literally means “floor” or “bed”; ‘ma’ means “space” or
“room.” In English, tokonoma is usually called alcove. It is a part of a room where
 things are displayed.a niche or an alcove in a Japanese home for displaying a flower arrangement,
kakemono, or other piece of art.
164. Traitor: a person who betrays his country
165. Twig: branch of tree
166. Twilighted: at the time of twilight i.e. sunset or sunrise.
167. Unaccustomed labour: not used to perform hard work
168. Vial: a small container, typically cylindrical and made of glass, used especially for
holding liquid medicines.
169. Vitality: energy, life
170. Wail: cry loudly
171. Washed: bathed
172. Weary: tired
173. Whence: where
174. Wistaria wine: a flowering plant used for decoration
175. Yonder: at some distance in the direction pointed at
176. Zeal: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective

Chapter-6 On the face of it

1. Crab apples: a small sour apple
2. Creak: a harsh sound of wood
3. Daft: silly, foolish
4. Dribble: to fall slowly
5. Fuss: show of anger, worry
6. Hive: dome shaped structure in which bees live
7. Monstrous: horrible
8. Occasional: sometimes
9. Panting: quick breaths
10. Peculiar: strange, unusual
11. Pretend: fake, make as if
12. Rustling: whisper, low sound
13. Scrump: steal from garden
14. Signify: be a sign of
15. Stare: to look at
16. Startled: feeling a sudden shock
17. Steady: stable
18. Strike; hit
19. Swish: a hissing sound
20. Tentatively: hesitant
21. Tresspassing: enter without permission
22. Underneath: directly below
23. Weed: unwanted plant
24. Whispered: To say something very slow
25. Windfalls: unexpected gain, jackpot

Chapter 7- Evans tries an O – level

1. Absolutely: completely
2. Academic: educational
3. Admire: praise
4. Allergic: sensitive
5. Amateurish: beginner
6. Amiable: friendly
7. Apprehensive: worried, anxious
8. Askew: tilted, angled
9. Authentication: verify
10. Awash: flooded, covered
11. awkward: unease
12. Awkward: uneasy
13. Bargain: here thought or planned for
14. Battered: worn out
15. Belated: late, overdue
16. Bewilderment: confusion
17. Blither: long-winded talk with no real substance
18. Bobble: small ball attached to a hat
19. Bother: concerned about
20. Bound: tied up
21. Bug: a small microphone
22. Bunk: narrow bed attached to the wall
23. Burly: large and strong man
24. Caked; coated
25. Card: a witty or eccentric person
26. Cell: lockup
27. Chisel: a long bladed hand tool
28. Chuckled: laughed quietly
29. Clambered: climb
30. Clanging: make a sound
31. Clotting: harden
32. Compassion: pity, sympathy
33. Conceal: hide
34. Conceded: admit
35. Concert: Musical Performance
36. Congenital: Natural, inherited
37. Contemptuous: disrespectful
38. Convince: assure
39. Cost him a packet: to cost a lot of money
40. Cackled: crack, sizzle
41. Cradled: rested, placed back
42. Crescendo: the loudest point of a sound
43. Crimson: a rich red color turning purple
44. Curtly: short, brief
45. Danke Schon: German language word for ‘Thank you very much’ or ‘Thank you kindly’
46. Darted: moved quickly
47. Demeanour: manner, attitude
48. Despair: hopelessness
49. Desperately: hopeless
50. Detective: investigator
51. Distempered: painted with distemper
52. Distinguished: differentiate
53. Dredge: clear
54. Drip: drop
55. Drizzle: light shower of rain
56. Embarrass: unease, awkward
57. Erupt: flare up
58. Escape: run away, get free
59. Establishment: setting up, building
60. Feeble: weak
61. Fiddling: petty annoying thing
62. Filthy: dirty
63. Fishy: doubtful thing
64. Foster: support
65. Frisk: check, search
66. Frowned: make a face
67. Gagged: stopped
68. Genuine: real, actual
 69. Glimpse: quick look
70. Gnawed: chew
71. Good for a giggle: for a laugh
72. Gorgon: fierce
73. Governor: chief, administrator
74. Grace: bring honour or credit to (someone or something) by one’s attendance or
participation.
75. Grand: royal
76. Grasp: hold, grip
77. Gravel: stones
78. Grim: distant
79. Grin: smile
80. Groggy: weak
81. Grubby: dirty
82. Guild: association
83. Gullible: over trustful
84. Guten gluck: German language word for ‘good luck’
85. Haemorrhoids: a swollen vein or a group of veins
86. Handcuffed; shackled
87. Haven’t a cat in hell’s chance: to be completely unable to achieve something
88. Hawk: a bird of prey with broad rounded wings and long tail
89. Haystack: a packed pile of hay (dried grass)
90. Herr: German language word for ‘mister
91. Hitherto: earlier, previous
92. Hoax: prank
93. Hostage: captive
94. Illusion: mirage, imagination
95. Imitation: copying
96. Immense: massive, enormous
97. Impersonating: pretend to be another person
98. Incommunicado: not able to or allowed to communicate with other people
99. Invigilate: supervise
100. Jack-knife: a large knife with a folding blade
101. Keep one’s eyes skinned: be on the alert; watch carefully or vigilantly for something
102. Kleptomania: a very strong wish to steal that you cannot control
103. Kleptomaniac: a person suffering from kleptomania
104. Laddy: referred to boy
105. Lathering: to form foam with soap
106. Leaned: bent
107. Leap: jump over
108. Leered: watched, stared
109. Loathe: hate
110. Lodge: gate house, cottage
111. Magistrate: civil officer who administers law
112. Manicured: well cared, tidy
113. Meticulously: carefully
114. Moan: cry
115. Muddle: confuse, jumble
116. Mug: a person’s face
117. Murmur: whisper
118. Nagging: here, irritation
119. Nail scissors: nail cutter
120. Objections: complaint
121. Panic: fear, alarm
122. Paper knife: blunt knife for cutting paper
123. Paraded: here, lined
124. Paraphernalia: things, stuff
125. Pardon: a request to a speaker to repeat something because one did not hear or
understand it.
126. Parky: cold
127. Parson: churchman
128. Parsons: Churchman, priest
129. Peep hole: keyhole, opening
130. Perplexed: puzzled
131. Persistent: continuous
132. Pin ups: Posters
133. Pints: unit of liquid
134. Pleasantry: joke, a stuff to laugh
135. Potential: possible
136. Premises: building, site
137. Presumably: to assume, believe
138. Procedure: method, process
139. Qualification: completion of some course
140. Ramrod: here, a strict supervisor
141. Recreation: relaxation, fun
142. Recruited: appointed
143. Reiterated: repeated
144. Reluctant: unwilling
145. Resist: withstand
146. Reverend: a member of the church
147. Revert: return to
148. Riffle: turning pages quickly
149. Rivet: here, fixed
150. Ruefully: sorrow
151. Ruffled: disarrange
152. Scathing contempt: severe disrespect
153. Scheduled: planned or fixed
154. Scots: another term for scottish
155. Scraping: to remove unwanted covering, here shaving
156. Scraping: the sound of an action of rubbing
157. Secretary: assistant
158. Seeping: flowing
159. Semi inflated: half filled with air
160. Semi profile: partly turned
161. Shaken: disturbed
162. Shirley temple: An actress famous for her wavy hair
163. Shrugged: disregarded, dismiss
164. Smouldered: here, glowed with anger
165. Smuggle: to take someone or something illegally
166. Sorely: with a great intensity, strongly
167. Spanner: a sharp tool
168. Spattered: splash, spray
169. Splash: A dashing sound of liquid
170. Sprang: past of spring
171. Sprawl: lie back
172. spurt: spray
173. Squeal: cry, scream
174. Squelchy: a soft sucking sound made when pressure is applied to liquid or mud
175. St. Mary Mags: St. Mary’s Magdalene, a church in England
176. Staccato: a short musical note
177. Stammer: mumble
178. Stare: gaze
179. Streaked: lined
180. Strident: harsh
181. Stroll: walk
182. Suffocate: breathless
183. Superimpose: place over another
184. Superintendent: supervisor, manager
185. Surly: bad-tempered and unfriendly.
186. Swath: a broad strip or area of something
187. Swung: wave
188. Tarnished: stained
189. Tempted: have an urge to do something
190. Thrust: push
191. Thudded: strike something with a heavy sound
192. Trailed: stream
193. Tucked: push
194. Tufted: bunch
195. Twang: a strong ringing sound
196. Unusual: strange
197. Unwittingly: unknowingly
198. Vaguely: roughly
199. Vanish: disappear
200. Veiled: face covering
201. Vigorously: strongly
202. Whiplash: sudden movement
203. Wreckage: remains

Chapter 8 Memories of Childhood

Story 1- The Cutting of My Long Hair by Zitkala–Sa

1. Anguish: pain, agony

2. Bare: uncovered
3. Bedlam: uproar, unrest
4. Belfry: part of a bell tower
5. Braid: Hairs bind into a plait
6. Capture: catch, arrest
7. Clatter: bang, sound of heavy objects
8. Clinging: tight (dress)
9. Comfort: console, sympathy
10. Coward: weakling
11. Crashing: break through
12. Crept: Crawl, move on hands and knees
13. Dim: dark
14. Drag: pull
15. Fate: destiny, god’s will
16. Gnaw: here, cut
17. Herder: a person who looks after the live stock (herd of sheep)
18. Huddled: holding arms and legs closely
19. Immodest: indecent
20. Indignities: shame, humiliation
21. Moan: cry, wail
22. Moccasins: slipper or shoe
23. Mourners: a person at a funeral
24. Mutterings: privately explained complaints
25. Paleface: yellow face
26. Peered: try to see
27. Puppet: a wooden resemblance of humans or animals controlled with the help of strings
28. Rear ranks: last
29. Reasoned: here, discussed
30. Rebel: Revolt
31. Resist: hold out against
32. Scratch: scrape
33. Shingled: cutting of hair
34. Shuddering: shiver, shake
35. Spied: notice, spot
36. Squeaking: making high pitched sound
37. Stare: gaze
38. Tossed: thrown
39. Unskilled: untrained
40. Venture: here, a risky task
41. Whither: where

Story 2 – We too are human Beings by Bama

1. Amused: finding something funny

2. Community: group
3. Cupping: holding hands together to catch something
4. Dawdle: waste time, idle
5. Demonstrate: to show
6. Dignity: nobility
 7. Disgusting: unpleasant
8. Double up: laugh out loud
9. Errands: task, job
10. Extend: hold out
11. Fetch: bring, carry
12. Frenzy: madness, mania
13. Gaze: look
14. Harangue: to give lecture
15. Humiliated: insulted
16. Iced lollies: piece of flavored ice on stick
17. Indignities: humiliate, disrespect
18. Infuriate: anger
19. Instrument: tool
20. Irrigation Tank: water pond made for watering fields
21. Ledge: shelf
22. Lemur: an animal
23. Meekly: quietly, submissively
24. Miracle: wonder
25. Muzzled: a covering used to cover the mouth of an animal
26. Novelties: newness, freshness
27. Oddities: strange things
28. Offerings: donation, gift
29. Payasam: sweet dish made with rice and milk
30. Polluted: impure, harmful
31. Proceedings: events, activities
32. Provoked: evoke, arouse
33. Reverently: with deep respect
34. Sack: bag
35. Savoury: a salty or spicy dish
36. Scraped: here, saved
37. Shriek: burst out
38. Snake Charmer: an entertainer who appears to make snakes move by playing music.
39. Spur: encouragement
40. Stain: Spot
41. Strings: thread
42. Terrible: horrible
43. Tether: tie up
44. Thambi: brother
45. Threshing floor: A specially flattened outdoor surface to separate the grain from straw.
46. Tread: walk
47. Tumbler: Jug
48. Wrap: cover
49. Wretched: miserable, sad