Scythe: Part Five

by Neal Shusterman
Citra and Rowan live in a society in which all natural causes of death have been eliminated. The two teenagers are recruited to be "scythes," people who administer death in order to cull the population.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five

Here are links to our lists for other works by Neal Shusterman: Challenger Deep, Dry
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. morbid
    suggesting an unhealthy mental state
    Scythes Rand and Chomsky have these morbid conversations.
  2. grandiose
    impressive because of unnecessary largeness or magnificence
    High Blade Xenocrates sat on a plush sofa in the grandiose mansion that had, until just two days ago, been occupied by the late Scythe Goddard.
  3. nullify
    show to be invalid
    “All the other scythes must see me as very bad luck. After all, I’ve gone through two scythes in one year. I suppose this nullifies my apprenticeship.”
  4. succumb
    be fatally overwhelmed
    The others must have fled the moment they heard that Scythe Goddard and his associates had succumbed to fire.
  5. indifference
    the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care
    “Me?” said Xenocrates, feigning indifference. “Why would I want to?”
  6. aspersion
    an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
    “Perhaps I should use my influence to call off the investigation,” he said. “Out of respect for our fallen comrades. Let their memory be untainted by clumsy forensics that might cast aspersions on their legacy.”
  7. blithely
    in a joyous, carefree, or unconcerned manner
    The power of life and death cannot be handed out blithely, but only with stoic and weighty reserve.
  8. ascension
    a movement upward
    Ascension to scythehood should by no means be easy. We who have established the Scythedom have faced our own struggles in the process, and we must ensure that all those who join us in our mission face a trial that is not only instructive but transformative.
  9. sacrament
    a formal religious ceremony conferring a specific grace
    Of course, to those on the outside, our rite of passage might seem unthinkably cruel. Which is why it must forever remain a secret sacrament.
  10. unscrupulous
    without principles
    “Perhaps,” said Scythe Curie, “but then again, perhaps not. There are some traditions not even the unscrupulous among us would dare break.”
  11. scimitar
    a curved saber used in Eastern countries
    And on that tablecloth, evenly spaced, were weapons: a pistol, a shotgun, a scimitar, a bowie knife, and a vial with a poison pill.
  12. coerce
    cause to do through pressure or necessity
    “You may not be coerced into doing this. You may take all the time you need. You must use the weapon assigned. When you are done, you will leave the subject and approach the committee to be assessed on your performance. Is all of this clear to you?”
  13. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    It seemed like an impossibly long walk to cross the room to them, and they began a bruising barrage of comments.
  14. banter
    light teasing repartee
    “And all that unnecessary banter.”
    “She was preparing him—making sure he was ready.”
  15. clapper
    metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound
    I am the clapper, but you are the bell,
    Tolling the gathering dark.
  16. threnody
    a song or hymn of mourning
    If you are the singer, then I am the song,
    A threnody, requiem, dirge.
  17. requiem
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
    If you are the singer, then I am the song,
    A threnody, requiem, dirge.
  18. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
    If you are the singer, then I am the song,
    A threnody, requiem, dirge.
  19. jockey
    compete or struggle for an advantage or a position
    At Harvest Conclave he had been a footnote, if that. But now spectators jockeyed for position to take his picture.
  20. callous
    emotionally hardened
    No one lamented that so many Tonists were gleaned. Some, in fact, callously joked about it.
  21. wreak
    cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
    He would turn conclave into a brutal and bloody battleground until they took him down—which wouldn’t be easy considering how skilled he’d become at killcraft and how motivated he was to wreak as much havoc as possible.
  22. sate
    fill to contentment
    Rowan ate with rare gluttony that morning, for once allowing himself to fully sate his appetite, and as he ate, he stole a few glances at Citra.
  23. rail
    complain bitterly
    “I will not have my rights to bear arms trampled upon!” railed one disgruntled scythe.
  24. disgruntled
    in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
    “I will not have my rights to bear arms trampled upon!” railed one disgruntled scythe. “Every one of us should have the freedom to use flamethrowers, explosives, and any other incendiary device!”
  25. incendiary
    capable of causing fires or catching fire spontaneously
    “I will not have my rights to bear arms trampled upon!” railed one disgruntled scythe. “Every one of us should have the freedom to use flamethrowers, explosives, and any other incendiary device!”
  26. earmark
    give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause
    Citra looked to Rowan, who sat with two empty seats on either side of him, for they were still earmarked for the dead.
  27. extenuating
    partially excusing or justifying
    We have reviewed the performance on all three of your tests—the first two of which you both failed, but with extenuating circumstances both times. Clearly, your instinct has been to protect each other.
  28. entail
    impose, involve, or imply as a necessary result
    “Then let it be known,” said Scythe Mandela, “that now, and forevermore...Citra Terranova shall wear the ring of scythehood, and bear the burden of all the ring entails.”
  29. emanate
    give out, as breath or an odor
    He held up his own ring. It was glowing red. So was Citra’s—and as Rowan looked around, he could see that every scythe’s ring within ten yards was emanating the same warning glow.
  30. artful
    not straightforward or candid
    “Sly and artful,” he said, “with just enough plausible deniability. You’ll do very well among us, Scythe Anastasia.”
  31. plausible
    apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful
    “Sly and artful,” he said, “with just enough plausible deniability. You’ll do very well among us, Scythe Anastasia.”
  32. devolve
    grow worse
    As it began to devolve into a debate over Rowan’s immediate future, Citra leaned in to him and whispered.
  33. pandemonium
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder
    And then he was gone, leaving pandemonium in his wake.
  34. cultivate
    foster the growth of
    The first scythes were true visionaries and saw the wisdom of continuing to cultivate wisdom.
  35. avarice
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
    If the conscience of the Scythedom fails, replaced by the avarice of privilege, we could become our own worst enemy again.
Created on Mon Jun 11 15:51:55 EDT 2018 (updated Fri Jan 04 10:16:15 EST 2019)

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