The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One: Chapters 5-8

by J.R.R. Tolkien
In the first part of The Lord of the Rings, nine representatives of different races band together for a dangerous quest to destroy the Ring of Power and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue, Book One: Chapters 1-4, Book One: Chapters 5-8, Book One: Chapters 9-12, Book Two: Chapters 1-4, Book Two: Chapters 5-10

Here are links to our lists for other works by J.R.R. Tolkien: The Two Towers, The Return of the King, The Hobbit
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bollard
    a strong post
    The white bollards near the water’s edge glimmered in the light of two lamps on high posts.
  2. scrupulous
    having ethical or moral principles
    Then we formed our conspiracy; and as we were serious, too, and meant business, we have not been too scrupulous. You are not a very easy nut to crack, and Gandalf is worse.
  3. heath
    uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation
    He was on a dark heath, and there was a strange salt smell in the air.
  4. sluggard
    an idle slothful person
    ‘It is time to get up. It is half past four and very foggy. Come on! Sam is already getting breakfast ready. Even Pippin is up. I am just going to saddle the ponies, and fetch the one that is to be the baggage-carrier. Wake that sluggard Fatty! At least he must get up and see us off.’
  5. enmity
    a state of deep-seated ill-will
    For the moment there was no whispering or movement among the branches; but they all got an uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched with disapproval, deepening to dislike and even enmity.
  6. rampant
    having a lush and unchecked growth
    No tree grew there, only rough grass and many tall plants: stalky and faded hemlocks and wood-parsley, fire-weed seeding into fluffy ashes, and rampant nettles and thistles.
  7. hoary
    ancient
    He lifted his heavy eyes and saw leaning over him a huge willow-tree, old and hoary.
  8. fissure
    a long narrow opening
    Enormous it looked, its sprawling branches going up like reaching arms with many long-fingered hands, its knotted and twisted trunk gaping in wide fissures that creaked faintly as the boughs moved.
  9. heedless
    characterized by careless unconcern
    He kicked the tree with all his strength, heedless of his own feet.
  10. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    Strange furtive noises ran among the bushes and reeds on either side of them; and if they looked up to the pale sky, they caught sight of queer gnarled and knobbly faces that gloomed dark against the twilight, and leered down at them from the high bank and the edges of the wood.
  11. lofty
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
    He stood as he had at times stood enchanted by fair elven-voices; but the spell that was now laid upon him was different: less keen and lofty was the delight, but deeper and nearer to mortal heart; marvellous and yet not strange.
  12. lank
    long and thin and often limp
    As they went down the mist became colder and damper, and their hair hung lank and dripping on their foreheads.
  13. incantation
    a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
    At first Frodo felt as if he had indeed been turned into stone by the incantation.
  14. hew
    strike with an axe; cut down, strike
    With what strength he had he hewed at the crawling arm near the wrist, and the hand broke off; but at the same moment the sword splintered up to the hilt.
  15. girth
    the distance around something, especially a person's body
    It was a merry journey with Tom Bombadil trotting gaily beside them, or before them, on Fatty Lumpkin, who could move much faster than his girth promised.
Created on Fri Jan 26 13:50:34 EST 2018 (updated Fri Aug 01 13:45:00 EDT 2025)

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