Vocab for To Kill a Mockingbird

Question 1

Apothecary- All we had was Simon Finch, a fur-trapping apothecary…

Answer 1

Noun. A pharmacist; someone who sells medicine or drugs.

Question 2

Nebulous- It was nebulous in Jem’s memory.

Answer 2

Adjective. Hazy, vague, indistinct, unclear, or confused

Question 3

Illicitly- I had been wallowing illicitly in the daily papers.

Answer 3

Adverb. Not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful.

Question 4

Compelled- I was compelled to think about it.

Answer 4

Verb. To force or drive, especially to a course of action.

Question 5

Entailment- A dreary conversation about his entailment…

Answer 5

Noun. A property that cannot be sold, devised by will, or otherwise done anything with by the owner. The property passes by law to the heir of the owner upon his death.

Question 6

Contemptuous- He gave a contemptuous snort.

Answer 6

Adjective. Hateful, malicious, spiteful, disdainful; scornful; disrespectful.

Question 7

Fractious- She had seen the error of her fractious ways.

Answer 7

Adjective. Impatient, quarrelsome, waspish; readily angered; peevish; irritable.

Question 8

Auspicious- The remainder of my school days were no more auspicious than the first.

Answer 8

Adjective. Promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable.

Question 9

Scuppernongs- Helping ourselves to someone’s scuppernongs was part of our ethical culture.

Answer 9

Noun. A vine from the southern U.S. which grows a type of muscadine grape- a silvery amber-green grape.

Question 10

Lineaments- The uncompromising lineaments of Aunt Alexandra…

Answer 10

Noun. A feature or detail of a face, body, or figure; distinguishing features; distinctive characteristics.

Question 11

Deportment- Her vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves…

Answer 11

Noun. Demeanor, conduct, behavior.

Question 12

Obstreperous- It was obstreperous, disorderly and abusive-

Answer 12

Adjective. Resisting restraint in a difficult manner; unruly, boisterous, clamorous, noisy.

Question 13

Umbrage- I took umbrage at her comments.

Answer 13

Noun. Offense, annoyance, or displeasure.

Question 14

Palliation- She was not a satisfactory source of palliation.

Answer 14

Noun. Relief or lessening without curing; mitigate, alleviate.

Question 15

Amanuensis- She was Secretary of the Maycomb Amanuensis Club.

Answer 15

Noun. A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another; secretary.

Question 16

Uncouth- An attitude he once described as uncouth.

Answer 16

Adjective. Unmannerly, ungraceful, awkward, clumsy.

Question 17

Connivance- Judge Taylor said, “Champertous connivance!”

Answer 17

Noun. Tacit encouragement or assent (without participation) to wrongdoing by another.

Question 18

Acrimonious- We could tell when it became more acrimonious than professional.

Answer 18

Adjective. Caustic, sarcastic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.

Question 19

Corroborating- He said something about corroborating evidence.

Answer 19

Verb. To make certain; confirm. Evidence that supports a claim.

Question 20

Mollified- She seemed mollified at that.

Answer 20

Verb. Pacified, appeased, softened in temper or feeling.

Question 21

Volition- He would never go into someone’s yard of his own volition.

Answer 21

Noun. The act of willing, choosing, or resolving; choice or decision made by the will.

Question 22

Expunge- He was ordered to expunge anything he happened to have written down.

Answer 22

Verb. To strike or blot out; erase; obliterate.

Question 23

Temerity- He had the temerity to feel sorry for her.

Answer 23

Noun. Reckless boldness; rashness.

Question 24

Furtive- He was surely up to something furtive.

Answer 24

Adjective. Taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret; sly, shifty.

Question 25

Acquiescence- I was puzzled by his acquiescence.

Answer 25

Noun. Agreement or consent by silence or without objection; compliance; giving tacit assent.