Huckleberry Finn Vocabulary Final

Front 1

confound is stupid

Back 1

bewilder somebody: to puzzle or confuse somebody

Front 2

stanchion

Back 2

upright supporting pole: a vertical pole, bar, or beam used to support something

Front 3

sultry

Back 3

hot and damp: oppressively hot and damp

Front 4

warbling

Back 4

sing with changing notes: to sing with trills and often changing notes ( refers to birds )

Front 5

coax

Back 5

persuade gently: to persuade somebody gently to do something
obtain something by gentle persuasion: to get something from somebody by gentle persuasion

Front 6

commence

Back 6

begin: to begin happening, or begin something

Front 7

afflict

Back 7

cause distress: to cause severe physical or mental distress to somebody

Front 8

encore

Back 8

extra or repeated performance: an additional or repeated performance of something in response to a demand from an audience

Front 9

mesmerize

Back 9

absorb somebody's attention: to fascinate somebody or absorb all of somebody's attention
hypnotize: to hypnotize somebody, especially by a method formerly believed to involve animal magnetism

Front 10

victuals

Back 10

food: food or other provisions ( archaic or humorous )

Front 11

stave

Back 11

band of wood: a long thin piece of wood, one of several sealed together to make the hull of a boat or the body of a container such as a barrel
rung or bar of wood: a bar or strip of wood or other material, especially one that forms a rung in a ladder or a crosspiece between the legs of a chair

Front 12

petrified

Back 12

immobilize somebody with fear: to cause a person or animal to become immobile with terror
turn something to stone: to become stone, or cause something organic to turn into stone
make or become deadened: to become dull, stiff, or deadened, or cause something to become dull, stiff, or deadened

Front 13

soliloquy

Back 13

talking when alone: the act of speaking while alone, especially when used as a theatrical device that allows a character's thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience
section in play: a section of a play or other drama in which a soliloquy is spoken

Front 14

yawl

Back 14

sailing vessel: a sailing vessel rigged fore-and-aft with a large mainmast and a smaller mizzenmast toward the stern
ship's rowing boat: a small boat kept on a ship, rowed by four or six people

Front 15

berth

Back 15

bed on ship or train: a bed, usually built-in, on a ship or a train
a place where a boat ties up anchor or where a motor vehicle parks

Front 16

shroud

Back 16

burial cloth: a cloth in which a dead body is wrapped before burial
protective covering: a protective covering, e.g. a guard for a piece of machinery

Front 17

sublime

Back 17

elevated or lofty in thought, language, etc.: (Paradise Lost is sublime poetry.)
supreme or outstanding: (a sublime dinner.)
complete; absolute; utter: (sublime stupidity.)

Front 18

collar

Back 18

garment's neckband: the upright or turned-over neckband of a coat, jacket, dress, shirt, or blouse
band around neck of animal: a leather, plastic, fabric, or metal band placed around the neck of an animal to identify it or attach it to a lead or leash

Front 19

pensive

Back 19

deeply thoughtful: thinking deeply about something, especially in a sad or serious manner

Front 20

temperance

Back 20

abstinence from alcohol: total abstinence from alcoholic drink
restraint: self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire

Front 21

stealthy

Back 21

trying to avoid being noticed: done quietly, slowly, and cautiously in order to escape notice
furtive: secretive, furtive, or cunning

Front 22

passel

Back 22

large group or amount: a fairly large group or amount

Front 23

pallet

Back 23

platform for loads: a standardized platform or open-ended box, usually made of wood, that allows mechanical handling of bulk goods during transport and storage

Front 24

hail

Back 24

pellets of ice: small balls of ice and hardened snow that fall like rain
pouring down of something harmful: a barrage of something such as missiles or insults
(a hail of exploding flying glass)

Front 25

frock

Back 25

dress: a woman's or girl's dress
loose outer garment: a loose baggy outer garment with sleeves that covers the top half of the body to below the waist, traditionally worn by artists and farm workers
monk's gown: a loose full-length gown with wide sleeves worn by the monks, friars, or clerics of some religious orders

Front 26

phrenologist

Back 26

study of bumps on skull: the study of the bumps on the outside of the skull, based on the now discredited theory that these bumps reflect somebody's character

Front 27

quicksilver

Back 27

changing unpredictably: tending to change rapidly and unpredictably

Front 28

lath

Back 28

wooden strip used in framework: one of the thin strips of wood used to form a framework to support plaster, tiles, or slates

Front 29

rummage

Back 29

search through things: to make a rapid search for or through something by carelessly moving and disarranging things

Front 30

candid

Back 30

honest: honest or direct in a way that people find either refreshing or distasteful