"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Nine

Liesel Meminger is a foster child living in Nazi Germany in 1939. Surrounded by violence, hardship, and war, Liesel is watched over by Death, who narrates her story.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten–Epilogue
25 words 2163 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. protrude
    extend out or project in space
    To her right, a book protruded like a bone.
  2. literal
    limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text
    It was she who introduced her to the library in the first place and gave her the initial, even literal, window of opportunity.
  3. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    Rudy was indignant.
  4. paranoid
    suffering from delusions of persecution or grandeur
    Paranoid, Rudy took the plate in just the one hand and wiped with the other.
  5. contempt
    open disrespect for a person or thing
    He placed his uninjured hand in his pocket and shivered with contempt for the German wind.
  6. bellows
    a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air
    On many nights, she’d watched Rosa sit with the accordion and pray with her chin on top of the bellows.
  7. sadistic
    deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on another
    The air was sharp and flat, like the Watschen of a sadistic teacher or nun.
  8. metronome
    clicking pendulum indicating the tempo of a piece of music
    From down the hall, like a metronome for the visions, Rosa snored, and Liesel lay awake surrounded, but also remembering a quote from her most recent book.
  9. petty
    preoccupied with unimportant matters in a spiteful way
    He didn’t want to lose, but he didn’t want to be petty, either.
  10. abbreviate
    shorten
    When the job was done, Hans Hubermann took a few abbreviated steps before the pain fractured in his leg and brought him down.
  11. grimace
    a contorted facial expression
    Unable to resist a laugh within the grimace of pain, Hans replied, “It sounds good, Sergeant.”
  12. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    When Liesel took the news next door, Barbara Steiner was ecstatic.
  13. semblance
    the outward or apparent appearance or form of something
    There was not even the semblance of a hello.
  14. quell
    overcome or allay
    For example, the hammers were for smashing windows and the towel was to wrap them up, to quell the sound.
  15. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    His criminal greatness was unfurling before his eyes, and as the footsteps slowed and they watched the houses, Liesel’s relief was pure and sad inside her.
  16. wrest
    obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically
    All brutality and reprimand were wrested from her face.
  17. tact
    consideration in dealing with others
    Tact had never been Rosa Hubermann’s strong point.
  18. multitude
    a large indefinite number
    Much like her conversation with Ilsa Hermann on the day of the cookies, a multitude of words and sentences were at her fingertips.
  19. mutilated
    having a part of the body crippled or disabled
    His mutilated hand was the only thing attached to the gate, and shamefully, he dragged it free and followed.
  20. inconsolable
    sad beyond comforting
    But the young man with only a few remaining fingers on his right hand was inconsolable.
  21. rummage
    search haphazardly
    Liesel reached into her bag and rummaged through the books.
  22. gash
    a trench resembling a furrow made by erosion or excavation
    To their left, three gashes were burned into the earth.
  23. jostle
    make one's way by pushing or shoving
    The crowd played with the silence as I made my way through. I jostled free.
  24. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Four years earlier, Liesel Meminger was coaxed through that doorway when she showed up for the first time.
  25. contentment
    happiness with one's situation in life
    Her bed was warm and soft with contentment.
Created on Wed Feb 27 11:08:35 EST 2013 (updated Wed May 11 14:05:50 EDT 2022)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.