A Wrinkle in Time: Chapters 7-9

by Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel details the adventures of the precocious Murry children as they travel across space and time to track down their missing father.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-3, Chapters 4-6, Chapters 7-9, Chapters 10-12
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bilious
    suffering from a liver disorder or gastric distress
    The green of the marble reflecting on their faces made them look bilious.
  2. recourse
    act of turning to for assistance
    “Now, my dears,” the words continued, “I shall of course have no need of recourse to violence, but I thought perhaps it would save you pain if I showed you at once that it would do you no good to try to oppose me.
  3. obliquely
    not in a direct or straightforward manner
    She tried looking at the mouth, at the thin, almost colorless lips, and this was more possible, even though she had to look obliquely, so that she was not sure exactly what the face really looked like, whether it was young or old, cruel or kind, human or alien.
  4. diverting
    providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
    It’s lucky for you that you amuse me, my dear, or I shouldn’t be so easy on you. The boys I find not nearly so diverting.
  5. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
    His voice took on the dry, pedantic tones of Mr. Jenkins.
  6. annihilate
    do away with completely, without leaving a trace
    It is so much kinder simply to annihilate anyone who is ill.
  7. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    There was something ominous to Meg in the very compactness of the room, as though the walls, the ceiling, the floor might move together and crush anybody rash enough to enter.
  8. sinister
    wicked, evil, or dishonorable
    Then Charles Wallace giggled, a giggle that was the most sinister sound Meg had ever heard.
  9. monotonous
    sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch
    Charles Wallace’s strange, monotonous voice ground against her ears.
  10. efficient
    being effective without wasting time, effort, or expense
    And that’s why everybody’s so happy and efficient.
  11. deviate
    be out of line with
    “Yes. Every once in a while there’s a little trouble with cooperation, but it’s easily taken care of. After today he’ll never desire to deviate again.
  12. placidly
    in a quiet and tranquil manner
    “Charles!” Meg pleaded. “Let me in to Father!”
    “Why?” Charles asked placidly.
  13. insolent
    marked by casual disrespect
    “Hi, Pop,” came an insolent voice.
  14. repellent
    highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
    IT was the most horrible, the most repellent thing she had ever seen, far more nauseating than anything she had ever imagined with her conscious mind, or that had ever tormented her in her most terrible nightmares.
  15. miasma
    unhealthy vapors rising from the ground or other sources
    For everywhere she looked, everywhere she turned, was the rhythm, and as it continued to control the systole and diastole of her heart, the intake and outlet of her breath, the red miasma began to creep before her eyes again, and she was afraid that she was going to lose consciousness, and if she did that she would be completely in the power of IT.
Created on Mon Aug 19 20:15:39 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Jul 23 18:39:26 EDT 2025)

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