Flush: Chapters 1–5

by Carl Hiaasen
While his father sits in jail for eco-terrorism, Noah sets out to prove that a casino boat is illegally polluting a local harbor.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–21

Here is a link to our lists for Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bail
    money forfeited if the accused fails to appear in court
    “I’ve offered to put up his bail, but apparently he’d rather sit alone in a cramped, roach-infested cell than be home with his family.”
  2. interfere
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    Mom did it all by herself—she didn’t tell my dad to pull over and stop because she didn’t want him interfering.
  3. understatement
    something said in a restrained way for ironic contrast
    (She says he’s got a tendency to get overexcited, which is the understatement of the century.)
  4. attorney
    a professional person authorized to practice law
    “It’s still smart to have an attorney,” said my mother.
  5. hull
    the frame or body of a ship
    We were surprised to see how easily they got her up, but of course there weren’t any holes in the hull or other damage that needed patching.
  6. boundary
    a line determining the limits of an area
    By Florida law, gambling boats are supposed to travel at least three miles offshore—beyond the state boundaries—before anyone is allowed to start betting.
  7. skiff
    a small boat propelled by oars or by sails or by a motor
    Two small skiffs and a Coast Guard inflatable were nosing around the Coral Queen.
  8. valid
    still legally acceptable
    “What can I say? I needed a lady with a big heart and a valid driver’s license.”
  9. martyr
    one who suffers for the sake of principle
    “Meanwhile he’s sitting in jail, talking about fighting for his principles. He wants to be a martyr, Noah, that’s fine—but not at the expense of this family. I won’t stand for it!”
  10. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    People who didn’t know my father automatically assumed he had to be drunk to do some of the things he did, but he wasn’t.
  11. squall
    sudden violent winds, often accompanied by precipitation
    That’s where we were going, to Thunder Beach, when a squall rolled through after lunch.
  12. submerged
    beneath the surface of the water
    By now the motor was completely submerged and the bow was pointed nearly straight up in the air, which meant that the boat was about to capsize.
  13. rave
    talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
    They wrote a letter to the judge saying that my father was a raving lunatic and they were scared to be in the same county with him, which was ridiculous.
  14. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    “Well, Noah, you’ve got to admit,” Miles Umlatt said, “his behavior has been erratic. Unpredictable, I mean.”
  15. vat
    a large open vessel for holding or storing liquids
    The way Dad had explained it, big boats like the Coral Queen are supposed to pump their toilet waste from onboard holding tanks into a sealed vat onshore.
Created on Fri Jan 31 19:41:11 EST 2014 (updated Wed Jul 30 13:40:50 EDT 2025)

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