Vocabulary words for The Sign of the Beaver By Elizabeth George Speare

The Sign of the Beaver
By Elizabeth George Speare



Vocabulary Lists with Definitions
Arranged in Story Order
Set One
Chapter1—Chapter 9 (Thirty Words)

• coiled Gathered or contracted in a circular way; wound into continuous, regularly spaced rings,
• one above the other. (p. 2)
• blunderbuss A short musket of wide bore and flaring muzzle,
• formerly used to scatter shot at close range; a
• person regarded as clumsy and stupid. (p. 4)
• ruefully In a manner that expresses sorrow or regret; regretfully:
•  sorrowfully; sadly. (p. 5)
• trudged Walked in a heavy-footed, weary, or laborious manner; tramped. (p. 5) (plodded p.57)
• horrid Shockingly dreadful; causing horror; extremely unpleasant or disagreeable; nauseating;
• sickening; vile. (p. 9, 42)
• solitary Alone; without companions; living or existing alone. (p. 9)
• rummaging Searching thoroughly or actively through, especially by handling, turning over, or
•  disarranging the contents of; ransacking; disarranging; messing up. (p. 10)
• quavering Quivering or trembling; speaking with a trembling voice; shuddering; faltering. (p. 10)
• mournful Feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; lamenting; sorrowful; forlorn. (p. 10)
• peered Looked narrowly, searchingly, or with difficulty, as if to see something more clearly; peeped
•  out or appeared slightly; focused; gazed; gawked; squinted; stared. (p. 12)
• vaguely Not clearly expressed or indicated; in a manner lacking definite shape, form, or character;
•  indefinitely; hazily; nebulously. (p. 15)
• sprawled Sitting or lying in a relaxed position with the limbs spread out carelessly or ungracefully;
•  spread out, extending, or distributed in a staggering or irregular manner, such as vines;
•  slouched; slumped. (p. 16)
• begrudging Being reluctant, hesitating, or unwilling to give, grant, or allow; envying the possession
•  or enjoyment of another. (p. 17) See also grudgingly (p. 34)
• burly Large in bodily size; stout; sturdy; brawny. (p. 18)
• shambles A scene, a place, or a thing in disorder or a state of destruction; a total mess. (p. 20)
• salvage Save; reclaim; rescue; the act of saving endangered property from loss; the rescue of a
•  ship, its crew, or its cargo from fire or shipwreck. (p. 20)
• abruptly Suddenly or unexpectedly; ending or changing suddenly; bluntly; hurriedly.(p. 27, 63)
• scorn An open display indicating hatred, disrespect, or contempt of something; to despise, put
• down, or mock; to look down upon. (p. 31) (see scornfully p. 38)
• incomprehensible Difficult or impossible to understand; puzzling; unintelligible; perplexing. (p. 31)
• defiance A daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force; open resistance; open
•  disregard; insolence; rebellion. (p. 31, defiant p. 65)
• glowered Looked or stared with anger, dislike, or contempt; scowled (p. 31); sulked; glared. (p.31)
• detested Hated; disliked immensely; felt disgust for. (p. 32)
• disdainfully Scornfully (see page 38); hatefully; indifferently; snobbishly; in a manner to indicate
•  that something is unworthy of notice or response. (p. 33)
• rigid Stiff or unyielding; firmly fixed or set; rigorous and unyielding; marked by an unwillingness to
•  change or adjust. (p. 33)
• shrugged Raised and contracted the shoulders, expressing indifference; disregarded; minimized;
•  ridded oneself of. (p. 39)
• spliced Joined together by the intertwining of strands, such as ropes or two parts of a rope; uniting
•  by overlapping and binding the ends, such as timber; joined; united. (p. 40)
• nonchalantly In an indifferent, unconcerned, or unexcited manner; casually; effortlessly. (p.41)
• ordeal A difficult or painful experience; trial; tribulation; test. (p. 41)
• contemptuous Showing or expressing a lack of respect for something considered worthless, vile,
•  or mean; disdainful, scornful; disrespectful. (p. 41)
• gleaming Flashing or beaming with light; sending forth a beam of light. (p. 42)