Short Story Vocab

Question 1

Profusely

Answer 1

1) adverb 2) exhibiting great abundance; bountiful 3) “The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (738).

Question 2

Boisterous

Answer 2

1) Adjective 2) cheerful and friendly 3) “School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.” (738)

Question 3

Reprimand

Answer 3

1) Noun 2) a rebuke, especially an official one 3) “School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.” (738)

Question 4

Civic

Answer 4

1) Adjective 2) relating to the duties or activities of people in relation to their town, city, or local area 3) “The lottery was conducted–as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program–by Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.” (739)

Question 5

Jovial

Answer 5

1) Adjective 2) cheerful and friendly 3) “He was a round-faced, jovial man and
he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him because he had no children and his wife was a scold.” (739)

Question 6

Paraphernalia

Answer 6

1) Noun 2) miscellaneous articles, especially the equipment needed for a particular activity 3) “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago, and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into use even before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born.” (739)

Question 7

Perfunctory

Answer 7

1) Adjective 2) an action or gesture carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection 3) “at one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year” (740)

Question 8

Interminably

Answer 8

1) Adjective 2) endless (often used hyperbolically) 3) “Mr. Summers was very good at all this; in his clean white shirt and blue jeans, with one hand resting carelessly on the black box, he seemed very proper and important as he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the Martins.” (740)

Question 9

Surly

Answer 9

1) Adjective 2) bad-tempered and unfriendly 3) “So me and Sugar leaning on the mailbox being surly, which is a Miss Moore word.” (196)

Question 10

Ferocious

Answer 10

1) Adjective 2) savagely fierce, cruel, or violent 3) “But then he tries to take off with Junebug foot still in the door so we talk about his mama something ferocious.” (197)

Question 11

Notion

Answer 11

1) Noun 2) a conception of or belief about something 3) “‘Like what, Ronald?’ ask Miss Moore. And Big Butt ain’t got the first notion.” (197)

Question 12

Recitation

Answer 12

1) Noun 2) the action of repeating something aloud from memory 3) “I read it again for myself just in case the group recitation put me in a trance.” (198)

Question 13

Treachery

Answer 13

1) Noun 2) betrayal of trust; deceptive action or nature 3) “Miss Moore is besides herself and I am disgusted with Sugar’s treachery.” (201)

Question 14

Furtive

Answer 14

1) Adjective 2) attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble 3) “Furtive boys in pink shirts hanging about on washday after school.” (169)

Question 15

Cowering

Answer 15

1) Verb 2) crouch down in fear 3) “She stoops down quickly and lines up picture after picture of me sitting there in front of the house with Maggie cowering behind me.” (170)

Question 16

Doctrines

Answer 16

1) Noun 2) a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group 3) “‘I accept some of their doctrines, but farming and raising cattle is not my style.’” (171)

Question 17

Clabber

Answer 17

1) Noun 2) milk that has naturally clotted on souring 3) “She jumped up from the table and went over in the corner where the churn stood, the milk in it clabber by now.” (171)

Question 18

Dasher

Answer 18

1) Noun 2) a plunger for agitating cream in a churn 3) “‘Uh huh,’ she said happily. ‘And I want the dasher, too.’” (171)

Question 19

Heritage

Answer 19

1) Noun 2) valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions, unspoiled countryside, and historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations 3) “‘What don’t I understand?’ I wanted to know. ‘Your heritage,’ she said.”

Question 20

Trifles

Answer 20

1) Noun 2) a thing of little value or importance 3) ‘Oh, well,’ said Mrs. Hale’s husband, with good-natured superiority, ‘women are used to worrying over trifles’” (821)

Question 21

Disdainful

Answer 21

1) Adjective 2) showing contempt or lack of respect 3) “Mrs. Hale began to arrange the dirty pans under the sink, which the county attorney’s disdainful push of the foot had deranged.” (823)

Question 22

Acquiescence

Answer 22

1) Noun 2) the reluctant acceptance of something without protest 3) “‘Of course it’s no more than their duty,’ said the sheriff’s wife, in her manner of timid acquiescence.” (823)

Question 23

Detained

Answer 23

1) Verb 2) keep (someone) from proceeding; hold back 3) “Mrs. Hale stood examining the clothes the woman who was being detained in town had said she wanted.” (824)

Question 24

Shabby

Answer 24

1) Adjective 2) in poor condition through long or hard use or lack of care 3) “‘Wright was close!’ she exclaimed, holding up a shabby black skirt that bore the marks of much making over.`” (824)

Question 25

Indecisive

Answer 25

1) Adjective 2) not settling an issue 3) “Her eyes had that look of peering into something. But next moment she moved, and said in her thin, indecisive way:” (827)

Question 26

Scrutinized

Answer 26

1) Verb 2) examine or inspect closely and thoroughly 3) “One piece of the crazy sewing remained unripped. Mrs. Peter’s back turned, Martha Hale now scrutinized that piece, compared it with the dainty, accurate sewing of the other blocks. (827)

Question 27

Apprehensive

Answer 27

1) Adjective 2) anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen 3) “Again their eyes met–startled, questioning, apprehensive.” (828)

Question 28

Incisively

Answer 28

1) Adjective 2) intelligently analytical and clear-thinking 3) “‘No, Peters’ said the county attorney incisively; ‘it’s all perfectly clear, except the reason for doing it.’” (832)

Question 29

Evasion

Answer 29

1) Noun 2) escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery 3) “There was a moment when they held each other in a steady, burning look in which there was no evasion or flinching.” (833)

Question 30

Facetiously

Answer 30

1) Adjective 2) treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor 3) “‘Well, Henry,’ said the county attorney facetiously, ‘at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it.’

Question 31

Pungent

Answer 31

1) Adjective 2) having a sharply strong taste or smell 3) “My brothers and I would peer into the medicinal herb shop, watching old Li dole out onto a stiff sheet of white paper the right amount of insect shells, saffron-colored seeds, and pungent leaves for his ailing customers.” (225)

Question 32

Solemnity

Answer 32

1) Noun 2) the state or quality of being serious and dignified 3) “I knew the only answer to that. I nodded back with equal solemnity.” (226)

Question 33

Pawn

Answer 33

1) Noun 2) a chess piece of the smallest size and value. 3) “Vincent got the chess set, which would have been a very decent present to get at a church Christmas party, except it was obviously used and, as we discovered later, it was missing a black pawn and a white knight.” (227)

Question 34

Benevolently

Answer 34

1) Adjective 2) well-meaning and kindly 3) “‘Little sister, been a long time since I play with dolls,’ he said, smiling benevolently. I quickly put the box down next to him on the bench and displayed my retort.” (229)

Question 35

Retort

Answer 35

1) Noun 2) a sharp, angry, or wittily incisive reply to a remark 3) “‘Little sister, been a long time since I play with dolls,’ he said, smiling benevolently. I quickly put the box down next to him on the bench and displayed my retort. (229)

Question 36

Prodigy

Answer 36

1) Noun 2) a person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities 3) “ I was still some 429 points away from grand-master
status, but I was touted as the Great American Hope, a child prodigy and a girl to boot.” (231)

Question 37

Malodorous

Answer 37

1) Adjective 2) smelling very unpleasant 3) “ He wore a dark, malodorous suit” (231)

Question 38

Concessions

Answer 38

1) Noun 2) a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands 3) “ My parents made many concessions to allow me to practice.” (232)