The House of the Scorpion: Chapters 31–38

by Nancy Farmer
This award-winning dystopian novel tells the story of Matt Alacrán, clone and captive of a powerful feudal lord. Follow Matt as he tries to escape the sinister forces at work in the country of Opium.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–14, Chapters 15–22, Chapters 23–30, Chapters 31–38
15 words 623 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    He looked like a loaded pizza! He scrubbed and scrubbed with the gray, seaweed soap, but it only made his skin turn a violent red.
    Ton-Ton and Luna guffawed when Matt returned.
  2. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    Chacho came out of nowhere and threw himself into the battle, pummeling Jorge with his fists.
  3. havoc
    violent and needless disturbance
    Desert storms were rare, except in August and September, but they weren’t unheard of. They blew up suddenly, wreaked havoc, and vanished almost as quickly as they’d come.
  4. exhort
    urge or force in an indicated direction
    He talked and talked, sometimes exhorting Chacho to come toward his voice, sometimes only rambling on about his childhood.
  5. euphoria
    a feeling of great elation
    Matt’s euphoria came down with a thump.
  6. hunker down
    crouch or squat into a low position
    He and Matt walked to the end of the pass and hunkered down, watching the sun slide into a violet haze.
  7. mausoleum
    a large burial chamber, usually above ground
    The Alacráns were buried in a marble mausoleum not far from the hospital.
  8. inscribe
    carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
    The name of a departed Alacrán was inscribed on each long drawer.
  9. fanciful
    having a curiously intricate quality
    Some were like small castles, while others looked like ships or space stations, and still others grew like trees, with fanciful balconies and rooftop gardens.
  10. mangy
    affected with a skin disease causing itching and hair loss
    If Fidelito was anything to go by—and the little boy was at least cute in a basic sort of way—the two of them were as attractive as a pair of mangy coyotes.
  11. truss
    secure with or as if with ropes
    Facing them were two Keepers, and next to them, trussed up like a lumpy package on the floor, was Ton-Ton.
  12. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
    “That’s a vicious lie! Someone’s trying to undermine the reputation of the Keepers!” cried Carlos.
  13. squalid
    morally degraded
    We know they’re squalid little parasites until they’re reeducated into good citizens.
  14. revel
    take delight in
    Matt reveled in the clean white sheets, the soft pillows, the flower-scented air drifting in from the garden.
  15. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
    Matt is young and resilient.
Created on Wed Jun 28 08:32:25 EDT 2017 (updated Mon Aug 04 10:38:21 EDT 2025)

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