vocab for huck finn

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Huck Finn Vocabulary
Vocabulary Words Chapters 1-15

1) Affix verb- to fasten, join, or attach (usually fol. by to): to affix stamps to a letter.

April is affixing tape when she wraps presents.

2) Commence verb- to begin; start.

The English teacher always says “Commence,” whenever the students have to start a test.

3) Tolerable adjective- capable of being tolerated; endurable: His arrogance is no longer tolerable.

Whenever April starts talking about The Golden Girls, her math teacher is tolerable and sticks around.

4) Shrivel verb- to contract and wrinkle, as from great heat, cold, or dryness.

April will always shrivel after being in the heat for eight hours.

5) Providence noun- (often initial capital letter) the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth.

April is always full of providence on Thursday and Sunday nights.

6) Ingot noun- a mass of metal cast in a convenient form for shaping, remelting, or refining.

Every Sunday night, April opens her bible and uses her ingot to bookmark the page.

7) Oracle noun- (esp. in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry.

April’s dad is always an oracle whenever April’s mom invites a priest over for dinner.

8) Infernal adjective- hellish; fiendish; diabolical: an infernal plot.

April is always an infernal person when it comes to having to talk to her children’s principal.

9) Speculate verb- to engage in thought or reflection; meditate (often fol. by on, upon, or a clause).

Everyday April has to go out and speculate how high or low the interest rate is.

10) Hogshead noun- a large cask, esp. one containing from 63 to 140 gallons (238 to 530 liters).

Whenever April has to make an order for her store, she always gets bread in a hogshead.

11) Vial noun- Also, phial. A small container, as of glass, for holding liquids: a vial of rare perfume; a vial of medicine.

April buys two types of perfume and puts them into a vial.


12) Pivot noun- a pin, point, or short shaft on the end of which something rests and turns, or upon and about which something rotates or oscillates.

When April and her sister get into an argument it usually pivots around who gets the car for that day.

13) Careened verb- (of a vehicle) to lean, sway, or tip to one side while in motion: The car careened around the corner.

While the physical science class was heading back into town, they all felt like the van was about to careen off the road.

14) Gaudy adjective- brilliantly or excessively showy: gaudy plumage.

When April wants to through a big party, the clothing she wears always makes her look gaudy.

15) Raspy adjective- harsh; grating; rasping.

Whenever April’s mom calls her grandma and grandpa, April’s voice always turns raspy.

16) Notion noun- a general understanding; vague or imperfect conception or idea of something: a notion of how something should be done.
April always has a notion when it comes to building new playgrounds.

17) Dismal adjective- causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary; cheerless; melancholy: dismal weather.

April is always in a dismal mood whenever she has to go to her grandma and grandpa’s.

18) Victuals noun- victuals, food supplies; provisions.

April always has to order victuals for her store.

19) Thrash verb- to beat soundly in punishment; flog.

Molly always has to thrash her bread before she bakes it.