When the Sea Turned to Silver: Chapters 11–20

by Grace Lin
When the Emperor kidnaps her grandmother, Pinmei must undertake a daring and dangerous quest to save her.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–36, Chapters 37–55, Chapters 56–76

Here is a link to our lists for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.
40 words 11 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. weariness
    temporary loss of strength and energy from hard work
    Amah’s limbs ached with weariness.
  2. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
    Bound and flanked by the iron arms of a soldier, she wasn’t used to the jerking motion of a galloping horse, and now that they had stopped, she felt her arms and legs tremble.
  3. curt
    speaking in a terse, rude, or abrupt way
    Yet, despite their curtness, the soldiers, surprisingly, had not been rough with her.
  4. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
    “He was the only one who answered me,” Amah said, trying her best to sound like a petulant child.
  5. lax
    without rigor or strictness
    However, even the most lax of guardians could not help but notice when the girl began to eagerly leave the house.
  6. fervor
    the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
    They watched the moon carefully and calculated calendar days with more fervor than when they added up their gambling tabs.
  7. lattice
    framework consisting of an ornamental wood or metal design
    Pinmei and Yishan stepped through the doorway, the stone walls protecting them from the wind even as the cold seeped through the lattice windows.
  8. bemoan
    regret strongly
    “Because a few days ago, when I was riding the stallion, it threw me and I broke both my legs. Again, I bemoaned my misfortune.”
  9. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
    “Suya,” Sifen admonished. “These children are guests.”
  10. ruffian
    a cruel and brutal fellow
    The ruffian had almost reached him. His ugly face jeered as he saw that Ku-Ang was trapped.
  11. dissipate
    cause to separate and go in different directions
    The pain from the stone began to dissipate, but Ku-Ang could still feel its power pulsating; his whole body felt as if it were bursting.
  12. herald
    greet enthusiastically or joyfully
    A wild whirlpool began to spin, its white waves becoming a herd of longma—dragon horses—racing to herald him in.
  13. gaunt
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    Amah looked at him, noticing the whiteness of his skin and his gaunt face.
  14. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    The magistrate was well known for his ruthlessness, as well as his greed. He was powerful, so powerful! The magistrate was said to have the ear of the emperor's most trusted advisor, and his own son was king of a neighboring city.
  15. reproachful
    expressing disapproval, blame, or disappointment
    The carved eyes gazed at him with such a reproachful stare that the stonecutter set down his tools.
  16. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
    "Glub, glub," the stone said, and when the stonecutter raised his head to look at the stone, he saw the beseeching eyes of a trapped creature.
  17. iridescent
    having a play of lustrous rainbow colors
    Its every curve was an iridescent medley of color.
  18. fawn
    try to gain favor through flattery or deferential behavior
    His flattering assistants fawned over it. His noble friends admired it.
  19. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    But as the servant lifted the fish, it writhed and twisted, jumping out of the servant's hands.
  20. belie
    be in contradiction with
    They passed only for a moment, but the horse’s thundering hooves belied its grace, for it seemed to glide more than run.
  21. pinnacle
    the highest level or degree attainable
    The rider was a woman! And she was a stunningly beautiful woman. Only moments before, Pinmei had decided the horse was the pinnacle of beauty, but now she found herself reconsidering.
  22. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
    The opulent fur-trimmed silk and gold ornaments told of the woman’s wealth and nobility, but those were mere faded trappings compared with her loveliness.
  23. trappings
    ornaments; embellishments to or characteristic signs of
    The opulent fur-trimmed silk and gold ornaments told of the woman’s wealth and nobility, but those were mere faded trappings compared with her loveliness.
  24. lavish
    characterized by extravagance and profusion
    The woman opened the bag and pulled out a lavishly embroidered fabric.
  25. shimmer
    shine with a weak or fitful light
    The green of the jade bracelet shimmered at her, like a thread in one of Amah’s embroidery silks.
  26. palatial
    relating to or being a large and stately residence
    One day, when she was at the market, she saw an old man selling a painting of a palatial estate.
  27. yearning
    prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
    She stared at the painting, and a yearning she had never felt before filled her.
  28. seamless
    perfectly consistent and coherent
    The moon was rising and its reflection on the water made a long silver-white path that connected seamlessly with the ground.
  29. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
    The dark waves flung shards of ice at him, and the blood from his cuts steamed and froze.
  30. whim
    a sudden desire
    And with that whim, she began to embroider a small image of herself in the garden of the widow's embroidery.
  31. stately
    impressive in appearance
    It covered their poor house and bare land, and in its place, the stately manor and a glorious garden formed.
  32. impertinence
    the trait of being rude and inclined to take liberties
    However, while Lady Meng’s eyes flashed with sudden anger, it was not from Yishan’s impertinence.
  33. sinewy
    possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful
    His sinewy, broad back was more like a dragon’s than a horse’s, and he had enough strength to carry a legion of men.
  34. brocade
    thick expensive material with a raised pattern
    Instead of looking from road to road, like Pinmei and Yishan were, Lady Meng’s eyes were fixed on the ice stretching before them like a silver brocade.
  35. bestow
    present
    The woman was bestowed many honors and accolades throughout her life, but her daughter brought her greater joy than any of them.
  36. accolade
    a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
    The woman was bestowed many honors and accolades throughout her life, but her daughter brought her greater joy than any of them.
  37. callous
    emotionally hardened
    The city seemed coldhearted to her—merchants were ruthless in their dealings and masters callous to their servants, and all called her naive when she objected.
  38. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    The city seemed coldhearted to her—merchants were ruthless in their dealings and masters callous to their servants, and all called her naive when she objected.
  39. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
    The old woman wept with them, finding no solace in having been right, for her son-in-law was among the dead.
  40. devious
    characterized by insincerity or deceit
    Who would dare do this to him? Who would dare insult him this way? Who would be this foolish, this arrogant, this devious, this...mad?
Created on Sun Apr 14 13:52:03 EDT 2019 (updated Wed Apr 24 14:18:11 EDT 2019)

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.