"Queen of Water," Part 2 Vocabulary

Join Primary Source’s “Global Read” of Laura Resau’s novel “The Queen of Water.” “The Queen of Water” tells of the life of an indigenous Ecuadorian girl who works as a servant for a mestizo family. Based on the true story of María Virginia Farinango.
“The Queen of Water,” Part 1 Vocabulary
“The Queen of Water,” Part 3 Vocabulary
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. antic
    a playful, attention-getting act done for fun and amusement
    There’s even a playful side to her when she’s in a good mood, the side that laughs at Jaimito’s and my antics and cracks jokes with Nino Carlitos.
  2. verge
    the limit beyond which something happens or changes
    Over the past three years, there have been times when they fought so much, I was sure they were on the verge of divorce.
  3. primp
    dress or groom with elaborate care
    “Well”—the Doctorita shrugs—“either way, she’s definitely becoming a teenager, the way she primps in front of a mirror for an hour before she goes out."
  4. revenge
    action taken in return for an injury or offense
    Mi amor, if you want, I’ll booby-trap her house to get revenge.
  5. nimble
    moving quickly and lightly
    Even his fingers, twirling a key chain, are precise and nimble, ready to defuse a bomb or pick a lock at a moment’s notice.
  6. hover
    hang, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
    I hover at the edge of the living room, listening and watching.
  7. animated
    having life or vigor or spirit
    They’re holding their books open and talking with animated gestures.
  8. decipher
    convert something hidden or secretive into ordinary language
    It’s as though we’re in a secret middle-of-the-night hideout, deciphering a top-secret code.
  9. revel
    take delight in
    Once I reach the clay tiles, I lean back on my elbows, lightheaded and reveling at my small feat.
  10. feat
    a notable achievement
    Once I reach the clay tiles, I lean back on my elbows, lightheaded and reveling at my small feat.
  11. infiltrate
    pass through an enemy line in a military conflict
    When I pasture the cow near the colegio, I time it so I can talk to the students, like an infiltrating spy, to pump them for information.
  12. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    I say, indignant.
  13. nonchalantly
    in a composed and unconcerned manner
    Once their truck has disappeared, I walk nonchalantly down the road toward the school.
  14. distillation
    purifying a liquid by boiling it and condensing its vapors
    The Doctorita rolls her eyes while Nino Carlitos explains distillation.
  15. evaporation
    the process of becoming a suspension of particles in the air
    I listen for a while, recognizing some words from Understanding Our Universe—evaporation, pressure, water vapor.
  16. illuminate
    make lighter or brighter
    Light pours through the window, illuminating his bald spot.
  17. manipulate
    influence or control shrewdly or deviously
    This annoys me a little, that she thinks she can manipulate me.
  18. equator
    an imaginary line around the Earth forming a great circle
    In the midafternoon, when the sun is high overhead—the earth’s equator close to the ball of burning fire, just like the di- agram in Understanding Our Universe—we turn onto the dirt road to Yana Urku.
  19. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    The words float by, flecks of ash, seeds on the breeze, remnants of another life that hasn’t quite vanished.
  20. germinate
    sprout; produce buds or branches
    And when a seed is dropped in, it can easily germinate and take root and push its tender new leaves toward the sun and begin the marvelous process of photosynthesis.
  21. suffocate
    deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
    A thousand memories press on me all at once, nearly suffocating me.
  22. missionary
    someone sent to a foreign country to spread a religion
    Maybe a door-to-door missionary gave it to them, or maybe Matilde brought it from the house where she worked.
  23. marvel
    be amazed at
    I filled my sack to the brim; I could hardly budge it, so people helped me carry it, marveling over how vivisima I was.
  24. dissection
    the act of cutting so as to separate into pieces
    This is like a dissection, seeing the inside parts that let the snake eat and breathe and make energy and waste.
  25. aftermath
    the consequences of an event, especially a catastrophic one
    “What happened, m’hija?’ His voice is hoarse and tender, as it always is in the aftermath of the Doctorita’s beatings.
  26. humiliate
    cause to feel shame
    "She humiliated me.”
  27. provoke
    provide the needed stimulus for
    If someone— man, woman, or child—provoked him, the cold, quiet man disappeared and the fire inside him flared up like a rag doused with kerosene, all flames and flying fists.
  28. douse
    wet thoroughly
    If someone— man, woman, or child—provoked him, the cold, quiet man disappeared and the fire inside him flared up like a rag doused with kerosene, all flames and flying fists.
  29. torso
    the body excluding the head and neck and limbs
    The fabric of my shirt rubs at the raw scratches all over my torso.
  30. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    My nose isn’t throbbing as much now, and the swelling will probably go down in a few days, and the welts from the hangers will fade in a week—a small price to pay for a diploma and a house full of books and weekly MacGyver access.
  31. trinket
    a small cheap ornament, knickknack, or piece of jewelry
    In a mad whirlwind, I tear the curtains from the rods, gather the pink bedspread in a ball and hurl it at the wall, knock over the lamp, push the trinkets and doilies off the chest, throw magazines and pillows around the room.
  32. momentum
    an impelling force or strength
    Gathering momentum, I run into the living room, swipe the photos off the table, rip the framed cross-stitched roses off the wall.
  33. dote
    shower with love; show excessive affection for
    Unbelievably, her mother, Anita, and niece, Silvia, and nephew, Jose, are sweet and dote on me, giving me hand-me-down clothes and telling me how beautiful I am.
  34. anemia
    a deficiency of red blood cells
    “Virginia has anemia and vitamin deficiencies.”
  35. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    Inside me, dark shadows gather, like the somber procession of the dead.
  36. repel
    force or drive back
    In Understanding Our Universe, I read that a magnet’s north pole attracts another magnet’s south pole, but it repels another magnet’s north pole.
  37. ponder
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I’m pondering this question as I sweep the Doctorita’s wait¬ing room, near the front door, where dirt from patients’ shoes always builds up.
  38. terrain
    a piece of ground having specific characteristics
    For instance, in rocky terrain, he would wedge a branch under a heavy stone and make it roll down a mountain toward his enemies.
  39. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    Then I lay the rope over the ceiling hook, pull it taut, and fasten it to the leg of a nearby chair.
  40. alibi
    a defense of some offensive behavior
    The broom, my alibi, leans against my knees.
  41. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Hers are wary, almost nervous, and finally flicker away to the window.
  42. triumphant
    experiencing victory
    Triumphant music that assures you MacGyver will always win in the end.
  43. destiny
    the circumstances or condition to which someone is fated
    Like me, she sometimes buries her face in her arms and sobs over her cruel destiny.
  44. shackle
    restrain with or as if with fetters
    She never shackles me with chains, but she beats me.
  45. abolitionist
    a reformer who favors putting an end to slavery
    Her true love is an abolitionist who fights for the freedom of slaves.
  46. accomplice
    a person who joins with another in carrying out some plan
    He’s used to being an accomplice in my plans, so he doesn’t question me, just starts running along the sidelines toward the goal.
  47. anguish
    extreme distress of body or mind
    The slave Isaura often cries over being apart from her freedom-fighter boyfriend, only she wears an enormous hoopskirt, so when she sinks to the floor in anguish she looks graceful in her pool of satin and lace, overflowing with angst and beauty.
  48. humble
    marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful
    I’ve traveled this far—how can I go back to living the humble life of a farming family?
  49. pretense
    the act of giving a false appearance
    Leo stops by under the pretense of saying farewell to the Doctorita.
  50. humiliation
    depriving one of self-esteem
    I bite the inside of my cheek in humiliation.
Created on Wed Sep 05 16:29:24 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Sep 05 22:21:36 EDT 2012)

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