Legend: Part One

by Marie Lu
In Marie Lu's dystopian novel, a military prodigy and a street criminal uncover shocking secrets about their government. Learn these words that will make you a vocabulary legend.

Here are links to our lists for the first book in the trilogy: Part One, Part Two

Here is a link to our lists for Warcross by Marie Lu.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hinder
    prevent the progress or accomplishment of
    WANTED FOR ASSAULT, ARSON, THEFT, DESTRUCTION OF MILITARY PROPERTY, AND HINDERING THE WAR EFFORT
  2. makeshift
    done or made using whatever is available
    In an attempt to distract myself, I'm piecing together a makeshift slingshot out of old PVC pipes.
  3. stockpile
    have on hand
    Over the years we've learned to stockpile the extra money we steal and stash it away for emergencies.
  4. vigil
    a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
    I don't dare move from my vigil.
  5. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
    The Republic’s favorite little prodigy is in trouble again.
  6. discipline
    training to improve strength or self-control
    Thomas might be several years younger than Metias and a subordinate on his patrol, but he’s more disciplined than anyone I know. Sometimes I wish I had that much discipline.
  7. intuition
    instinctive knowing, without the use of rational processes
    No matter how sharp my intuition is, no matter how well I do at Drake or how perfectly I score in defense and target practice and hand-to-hand combat, Metias’s eyes always hold that fear.
  8. humble
    of low birth or station
    My mother used to hope that I would rise up from my humble roots. Become someone successful, or even famous. I'm famous all right, but I don't think it's what she had in mind.
  9. stealth
    the act of moving in a quiet or secretive way to avoid being noticed
    Now I'm moving with all speed and no stealth.
  10. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    I can't tell if adrenaline is keeping me from feeling other effects of my fall.
  11. efficient
    being effective without wasting time, effort, or expense
    I remember watching him peel that orange for me; he cut one long, efficient line in the fruit’s peel, then removed it all in one piece.
  12. renowned
    widely known and esteemed
    Maybe I’d even be lucky enough to get assigned to a renowned commander like Metias did.
  13. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
    This is my first coherent thought as we reach the bottom floor of our high-rise and climb into a waiting jeep.
  14. analyze
    consider in detail in order to discover essential features
    I’m supposed to be analyzing the crime scene . . . but I can’t concentrate.
  15. scour
    examine minutely
    I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you.
  16. deceive
    cause someone to believe an untruth
    I will trick you and deceive you, lie, cheat, and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run.
  17. thoroughly
    in an exhaustive manner
    And if that much money was involved, he certainly would have planned more thoroughly and known when the laboratory’s next shipment of plague medicine would arrive.
  18. evidence
    means by which an alleged matter is established or disproved
    One of my hands clutches a pendant necklace, a piece of evidence I’ve been studying for a while now.
  19. agenda
    an organized plan for matters to be attended to
    He has some sort of agenda to stop us from winning against the Colonies.
  20. crude
    belonging to an early stage of technical development
    For a while we thought he might work for the Colonies—but his jobs are crude, without high-tech equipment or noticeable funding behind them.
  21. stupefied
    as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
    Another time, he broke into a bank vault but left the four security guards at its back entrance untouched—although a bit stupefied.
  22. exploit
    a notable achievement
    Day’s exploits used to fascinate me.
  23. affiliation
    a social or business relationship
    Or worse, they'd learn about her affiliation with me and interrogate her.
  24. fugitive
    someone who is sought by law officers
    Not unless they want to become fugitives like me.
  25. unidentifiable
    impossible to recognize
    I need to look genderless, generic, unidentifiable.
  26. agile
    moving quickly and lightly
    I already know how agile Day is.
  27. vantage
    the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
    He must be on an adjacent block with a good vantage point—a high floor.
  28. option
    one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
    I won’t be allowed to force Day to come to me—which leaves me only one option.
  29. salvage
    save from ruin, destruction, or harm
    Maybe I could salvage something useful from the bin.
  30. suspicious
    arousing distrust
    Usually I can hear something suspicious before Tess does, but this time I hear nothing at all.
  31. wily
    marked by skill in deception
    Tess, though, is slender and wily.
  32. deliberately
    in a careful unhurried manner
    She stands deliberately, with a hand resting on her hip, as if nothing in the world can catch her off guard.
  33. opponent
    a contestant that you are matched against
    I’m more worried that I’ll accidentally kill my opponent.
  34. fend
    try to manage without help
    I should have let her fend for herself.
  35. precise
    sharply exact or accurate or delimited
    My style is too precise for a simple street beggar.
  36. maintain
    keep in a certain state, position, or activity
    My wound burns, but I grit my teeth and maintain my grip on her arm.
  37. cautious
    showing careful forethought
    The Girl smiles for the first time, but there's something eternally cautious about her eyes.
  38. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    Maybe it's the expression in her eyes, something at once coolly logical and fiercely defiant.
  39. impressive
    producing a strong effect
    "Wow, you're a risk-taker. But your fighting is pretty impressive. I bet you don't have much trouble on your own."
  40. reliable
    worthy of being depended on
    I curse myself for risking so much money in a Skiz bet instead of finding a more reliable way to get cash.
  41. accomplish
    achieve with effort
    Commander Jameson doesn’t believe I can accomplish anything on this mission
  42. nimble
    moving quickly and lightly
    I notice other things too: how familiar he is with streets far from the Lake sector, as if he could walk them blindfolded; how nimble his fingers are when they smooth down the wrinkles at his shirt’s waist; how he looks at buildings as if memorizing them.
  43. perceptive
    of or relating to awareness via the senses
    “You’re a perceptive one, Girl,” the boy says quietly.
  44. unperturbed
    free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
    Tess walks ahead of us, completely unperturbed by her surroundings, her stride cheerful and carefree.
  45. awareness
    state of elementary or undifferentiated consciousness
    We continue taking turns—large swigs for him, small sips for me—until he recorks the bottle, seeming to put it away the instant he feels it dulling his awareness.
  46. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    Then he regains his composure, and as I struggle to regain mine, he leans back against the wall beside me and sighs.
  47. evade
    use cunning or deceit to escape or avoid
    It’s a wonder you’ve evaded the government for so long—but you can’t hide now, not when your own family or friends are at risk.
  48. instinct
    inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to stimuli
    On instinct, I swing the slingshot toward him and fire.
  49. tactic
    a plan for attaining a particular goal
    "We've tried your tactic. Now let's try mine."
  50. avenge
    take action in return for a perceived wrong
    Some small part of me wants to smile at the sight, to feel the joy of avenging my brother’s death.
Created on Sun Apr 24 16:19:03 EDT 2016 (updated Mon Sep 10 17:07:04 EDT 2018)

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