Holes - Some Important Vocabulary
Holes - Some Important Vocabulary
Holes - Some Important Vocabulary
splatter
dash a liquid upon or against
Stanley watched the water splatter on the dirt, where it was quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground.
2. raspy
unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
3. parch
cause to wither from exposure to heat
4. evict
expel or eject without recourse to legal process
5. snicker
laugh quietly
6. excavate
recover through digging
8. crumple
gather something into small wrinkles or folds
9. layered
with one thin piece on top of another
It was layered and streaked with different shades of red, burnt orange, brown, and tan.
10. contaminate
make impure
They didn't dip their socks into the hole, afraid to contaminate the water.
11. protrude
extend out or project in space
He was able to lift Zero high enough for him to grab the protruding slab of rock.
12. indentation
the space left between the margin and a line set in
He saw a large indentation in the weeds a little farther down the mountain.
13. memorize
learn by heart
14. unearth
recover through digging
He unearthed several shovelfuls of dirt in this manner, before it occurred to him that he was dumping his dirt
15. increment
the amount by which something increases
Instead they zigzagged back and forth, increasing their altitude by small increments every time they changed
directions.
16. rummage
search haphazardly
Kate could see her rummaging through the cabin, dumping drawers and knocking things from the shelves of
cabinets.
17. wiggle
move to and fro
He had a tattoo of a rattlesnake on his arm, and as he signed his name, the snake's rattle seemed to wiggle "I
Mr. Sir opened the nozzle, and the water flowed out of the tank, but it did not go into Stanley's canteen.
19. dangle
hang freely
20. grading
evaluation of performance by assigning a score
Miss Katherine usually stayed in the schoolhouse, grading papers and such, while Sam worked on the roof.
21. fume
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
The air was thick with heat, dust, and exhaust fumes.
22. rotate
turn on or around an axis or a center
He rotated it and only had to chip off a few chunks of dirt, here and there, before it could lie flat across his hole
in every direction.
23. glisten
be shiny, as if wet
As he dumped it out, he thought he saw something glisten as it fell onto the dirt pile.
24. perimeter
a line enclosing a plane area
He unearthed several shovelfuls of dirt in this manner, before it occurred to him that he was dumping his dirt
25. shimmer
shine with a weak or fitful light
It was a mirage caused by the shimmering waves of heat rising off the dry ground.
26. humiliate
cause to feel shame
Maybe he was in a hurry to bring the shoes to his father, or maybe he was trying to run away from his miserable
27. writhe
move in a twisting or contorted motion
28. evaporate
change into gas or steam
The water ran out under the walls and evaporated quickly in the sun.
29. taped
recorded on tape
Mr. Sir made a bandage out of a piece of his sack of sunflower seeds and taped it over Stanley's wound.
30. holster
a sheath for carrying a handgun
31. gash
cut open
He felt his wet blood and a pretty big gash just below his ear.
32. donate
give to a charity or good cause
Clyde Livingston testified that they were his sneakers and that he had donated them to help raise money for the
homeless shelter.
33. snout
a long projecting or anterior elongation of an animal's head
Myra's father got down on his hands and knees and closely examined each pig, tail to snout.
34. hinge
a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing
35. amaze
affect with wonder
"No."
In fact, it was the same foot fungus that a hundred and ten years later would afflict the famous ballplayer Clyde
Livingston.
37. recede
pull back or move away or backward
38. accelerate
move faster
Stanley jerked back against the seat and tightly gripped the wheel as the truck accelerated.
39. predatory
living by preying on other animals
The yellow-spotted lizards like to live in holes, which offer shade from the sun and protection
40. mirage
optical illusion in which hot air distorts distant objects
It was a mirage caused by the shimmering waves of heat rising off the dry ground.
41. zigzag
a shape with sharp turns in alternating directions
Instead, she robbed him and left him stranded in the middle of the desert.
43. nectar
a sweet liquid secretion that is attractive to pollinators
44. retrieve
get or find back; recover the use of
By the time Stanley retrieved it, he had missed his bus and had to walk home.
45. pry
be nosey
He leaned on the shaft and pried up his first shovelful of dirt, then dumped it off to the side.
46. lurch
move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
47. quack
the sound made by a duck
He glanced at Zero, about fifteen feet away, who scooped out a shovelful of dirt and dumped it on a pile that
49. premise
a statement that is held to be true
Next to it was another sign which declared that it was a violation of the Texas Penal Code to bring guns,
50. sniff
perceive by inhaling through the nose
51. grimace
contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
He grimaced as he sliced off a chunk of dirt, then raised it up and flung it onto a pile.
52. humid
containing or characterized by a great deal of water vapor
53. confuse
mistake one thing for another
55. hover
hang in the air; fly or be suspended above
During the summer the daytime temperature hovers around ninety-five degrees in the shade—if you can find
any shade.
56. venom
toxin secreted by animals
"Rattlesnake venom."
57. despicable
morally reprehensible
58. murky
clouded as with sediment
In his mind he could hear his father's gruff voice softly singing to him
60. distract
draw someone's attention away from something
61. bounce
spring back; spring away from an impact
He tried to jam it into the earth, but the blade banged against the ground and bounced off without making a
dent.
62. wrench
a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments
"Luh— Luh-un—" Suddenly, Zero made a horrible, wrenching noise as he doubled over and grabbed his
stomach.
63. toxic
of or relating to or caused by a poison
After focusing on Big Thumb for so long, it was as if the rock had absorbed his energy and now acted like a
65. poke
thrust abruptly
66. lizard
relatively long-bodied reptile with legs and a tapering tail
Then he will get to spend a day or two recovering in his tent, instead of having to dig a hole out on the lake
67. flap
move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
68. recite
repeat aloud from memory
He would have felt pretty silly reciting nursery rhymes at Camp Green Lake.
69. hazy
filled or abounding with fog or mist
The only time they were visible was just at sunup, before the air became hazy.
70. jagged
having a sharply uneven surface or outline
There were three dark-purple jagged lines running down his cheek where the Warden had scratched him.
71. spat
a quarrel about petty points
72. discourage
try to prevent; show opposition to
"Not every Stanley Yelnats has been a failure," Stanley's mother often pointed out, whenever Stanley or his
father became so discouraged that they actually started to believe in the curse.
73. exhaust
wear out completely
The air was thick with heat, dust, and exhaust fumes.
74. requirement
necessary activity
The next morning, out on the lake, Stanley listened as Mr. Sir told Twitch the requirements for his hole: ". . . as
76. sparkle
emit or produce sparks
77. exclaim
utter aloud, often with surprise, horror, or joy
78. relaxation
freedom from activity
Mr. Sir told him he should wear one set to work in and one set for relaxation.
79. parched
dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
80. pierce
penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument
Stanley stamped down on the back of the blade of the shovel, piercing the hard, dry earth.
81. tangle
twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
As they climbed higher, the patches of weeds grew thicker, and they had to be careful not to get their
82. preposterous
inviting ridicule
83. relax
make less taut
84. scar
a mark left by the healing of injured tissue
It was a jagged purple line running from below his eye to below his mouth, like a tattoo of a scar.
85. absorb
take in a liquid
Stanley watched the water splatter on the dirt, where it was quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground.
86. scatter
cause to separate and go in different directions
88. clutch
take hold of; grab
Suddenly, Mr. Sir screamed and clutched his face with both hands.
89. adjust
alter or regulate so as to conform to a standard
His body had adjusted somewhat to the heat and harsh conditions.
90. stall
a small area set off for special use
91. altitude
elevation above sea level or above the earth's surface
Instead they zigzagged back and forth, increasing their altitude by small increments every time they changed
directions.
92. nonetheless
despite anything to the contrary
Elya tried his best to translate it from Latvian into English, but it wasn't the same.
94. whirl
the shape of something rotating rapidly
95. invent
come up with after a mental effort
The apartment smelled the way it did because Stanley's father was trying to invent a way to recycle old sneakers.
96. challenging
requiring full use of your abilities or resources
97. drought
a shortage of rainfall
98. automatically
in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism
He kept stepping into, then jumping back from, the spray, until the water shut off automatically.
99. unaware
not having or showing knowledge or understanding
Stanley weighed three times as much as the other boy Mrs. Bell wrote the ratio on the board, 3:1, unaware of
100. quiver
shake with fast, tremulous movements
She pointed her quivering finger in their direction and whispered, "God will punish you!"
101. concentrate
make denser, stronger, or purer
102. swarm
a group of many things in the air or on the ground
103. expanse
a wide and open space or area as of surface or land or sky
Magnet gestured with his arms to the great expanse around them.
104. precipice
a very steep cliff
As the ground flattened, a huge stone precipice rose up ahead of him, just barely visible in the moonlight.
105. clasp
hold firmly and tightly
106. surround
extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
His hole was almost up to his shoulders, although it was hard to tell exactly where ground level was because his
107. pan
shallow container made of metal
It was as if they had been walking across the flat bottom of a giant frying pan, and now they had to somehow
108. cluster
a grouping of a number of similar things
Zero kept backing up, out past the cluster of holes the boys had been digging, then farther and farther out onto
the lake.
109. scratch
cut, scrape, or wear away the surface of
There were three dark-purple jagged lines running down his cheek where the Warden had scratched him.
110. tangled
in a confused mass
As they climbed higher, the patches of weeds grew thicker, and they had to be careful not to get their
111. ignore
refuse to acknowledge
"All right!" said Mr. Pendanski, raising his hand for a high five, but Stanley ignored it.
112. lump
a compact mass
113. zero
the mathematical symbol 0 denoting absence of quantity
114. ratio
relation with respect to comparative quantity or magnitude
On his last day of school, his math teacher, Mrs Bell, taught ratios.
115. muddy
soft and watery, of soil
Zero's head knocked against the back of his shoulder as he fell and tumbled into a small muddy gully.
116. riot
a state of disorder involving group violence
117. frail
physically weak
118. gear
a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism
119. rotten
having decayed or disintegrated
120. rub
move over something with pressure
121. moisture
wetness caused by water
He barely had enough moisture in his mouth to seal and stamp the envelope.
122. blossom
a flower or cluster of flowers on a plant
123. expand
extend in one or more directions
When she looked at you, her eyes seemed to expand, and you felt like she was looking right through you.
124. nursery
a child's room for a baby
125. obstacle
something that stands in the way and must be surmounted
Other times they'd run an obstacle course, or go bungee jumping off a table, tied to broken rubber bands.
126. tank
a large vessel for holding gases or liquids
Mr. Sir filled each of their canteens from a tank of water in the bed of the pickup.
127. weigh
have a certain heft
As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in the class and the lightest kid m the class, and had
It was layered and streaked with different shades of red, burnt orange, brown, and tan.
129. collapse
break down, literally or metaphorically
As Stanley tried to turn over on his cot, he was afraid it was going to collapse under all his weight.
130. muscle
animal tissue consisting predominantly of contractile cells
Every muscle and joint in his body ached as he tried to get out of bed.
131. glare
be sharply reflected
132. compound
a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
Two boys, each carrying a shovel, were coming across the compound.
133. grade
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
Miss Katherine usually stayed in the schoolhouse, grading papers and such, while Sam worked on the roof.
134. shaft
a long rod or pole, especially the body of a weapon
The vibrations ran up the shaft of the shovel and into Stanley's wrists, making his bones rattle.
135. adult
a fully developed person from maturity onward
She taught classes in the evening for adults, and many of the adults loved her as well.
136. meadow
a field where grass or alfalfa are grown to be made into hay
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137. concentrated
gathered together or made less diffuse
138. patch
a small contrasting part of something
139. drift
be in motion due to some air or water current
The truck stopped, and the dust cloud drifted past it.
140. stare
look at with fixed eyes
141. guy
an informal term for a youth or man
142. survive
continue in existence after
"He was lucky to have survived," Stanley's mother was quick to point out.
143. desolate
providing no shelter or sustenance
144. urge
force or impel in an indicated direction
145. amazed
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise
"No."
It was full of bumps and holes because so many people had carved their initials into the felt.
147. barren
completely wanting or lacking
148. remind
put in the mind of someone
The lake was so full of holes and mounds that it reminded Stanley of pictures he'd seen of the moon.
149. warn
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
Madame Zeroni warned that if he failed to do this, he and his descendants would be doomed for all of eternity.
150. tube
a hollow cylindrical shape
It was a gold tube, about as long and as wide as the second finger on his right hand.
151. convince
make realize the truth or validity of something
Though he tried to convince himself otherwise, he'd been aware for a while that his piles of dirt were too close
to his hole.
152. peak
a V shape
In that split second Stanley thought he saw an unusual rock formation on top of one of the mountain peaks.
153. outline
the line that appears to bound an object
He rubbed off some dirt, and the outline of the fish became clearer.
154. definitely
without question and beyond doubt
155. boil
change from a liquid to vapor
There were no mirrors in camp, but he imagined he looked like he had a hard- boiled egg sticking out of him.
156. leap
move forward by bounds
They have strong, powerful legs, and can leap out of very deep holes to attack their prey.
157. fan
a device for creating a current of air by movement
There was a hole in the far wall, and an electric fan had been placed in front of it.
158. reflect
throw or bend back from a surface
The bright sun reflected off the side mirror of the truck, and Stanley had to shield his eyes with his hand.
159. lap
the upper side of the thighs of a seated person
Stanley Yelnats was the only passenger on the bus, not counting the driver or the guard The guard sat next
to the driver with his seat turned around facing Stanley A rifle lay across his lap
Stanley was sitting about ten rows back, handcuffed to his armrest His backpack lay on the seat next to him
It contained his toothbrush, toothpaste, and a box of stationery his mother had given him He'd promised to
160. complain
express discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
Theodore spit a thin line of saliva between his teeth, causing some of the other boys to complain about the need
161. introduce
bring something new to an environment
He told the boys to come shake Stanley's hand and introduce themselves, "like gentlemen."
162. appreciate
be fully aware of; realize fully
And as the truck bounced along the dirt, he was able to appreciate the air blowing through the open window
163. foul
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
Even if she didn't love him, couldn't she see what a foul person Igor was?
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