English Huck Finn Ch. 1-16 Vocab.

Front 1

commence

Back 1

v. to begin; start "The game commenced after the singing of the National Anthem."

Front 2

tolerable

Back 2

adj. fairly good; not bad "The mediocre performance was not outstanding, but at least it was tolerable."

Front 3

shrivel

Back 3

v. to contract and wrinkle, as from great heat, cold, or dryness "The dead leaf shriveled on the tree, then fell to the ground."

Front 4

providence

Back 4

n. the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth "God shows providence over us by helping us cope with stressful situations."

Front 5

ingots

Back 5

n. a mass of metal cast in a convenient form for shaping, remelting, or refining "The ingots were brought to the factory, melted down, reshaped, then resold."

Front 6

oracle

Back 6

n. an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry "The oracle gave a lengthy speech in versed poem that spelled imminent doom for mankind."

Front 7

specimen

Back 7

n. a part or an individual taken as exemplifying a whole mass or number; a typical animal, plant, mineral, part, etc. "The specimen had to be put under a microscope to be seen."

Front 8

infernal

Back 8

adj. hellish; fiendish; diabolical "The evil emperor devised an infernal plan to eradicate the land of those who opposed him."

Front 9

speculate

Back 9

v. to indulge in conjectural thought "The coroner had to speculate about the victim's cause of death."

Front 10

hogshead

Back 10

n. any of various units of liquid measure, especially one equivalent to 63 gallons "The RV's gas tank can hold a hogshead of fuel."

Front 11

vial

Back 11

n. a small container, as of glass, for holding liquids "The vial contains a liquid that is only found in certain parts of the world."

Front 12

pivot

Back 12

v. to whirl on one foot "I pivoted on my heels and began to run when I saw the person who was 'it' running after me."

Front 13

careen

Back 13

v. to lean, sway, or tip to one side while in motion "The car careened around the corner."

Front 14

gaudy

Back 14

adj. brilliantly or excessively showy "The gaudy football player could not put his money where his mouth was."

Front 15

thicket

Back 15

n. a thick or dense growth of shrubs, bushes, or small trees; a thick coppice "The inmate ran through a thicket of shrubs and pushes in an attempt to escape from the warden."