The Scorpio Races: Chapters 25–36

by Maggie Stiefvater
Each year, residents of Thisby race the violent water horses that live in the sea around their island. Sean hopes that winning will enable him to buy the horse he loves; Puck hopes that winning will allow her to save her home and keep her family together. But surviving the brutal competition will prove more challenging than either of them expected.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 11, Chapters 12–24, Chapters 25–36, Chapters 37–48, Chapters 49–66
40 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. furlong
    a unit of length equal to 220 yards
    The gallop is seven furlongs, nearly a mile, and straight as an arrow.
  2. epiphany
    a usually sudden insight, perception, or understanding of something
    Something dawns over her face, and for a moment, I needn’t be there—it is merely her and her epiphany.
  3. preen
    pride or congratulate oneself for an achievement
    Corr hasn’t stopped moving. His neck is arched, too. I’m sure he looks ridiculous as he preens for them.
  4. lore
    knowledge gained through tradition or anecdote
    Local lore had it that a capall uisce caught in the rain wanted to stay wet, but I wouldn’t believe it until I’d tried it for myself.
  5. regimen
    a systematic plan for therapy
    “There is nothing faster than a capall uisce. Period. I don’t care what sort of training regimen you’re doing, circles in the surf, or whatever. They have strength on your mare, they have height on her, and your mare runs on grass. The capaill uisce run on blood, Kate Connolly. You don’t stand a chance.”
  6. buffet
    strike against forcefully
    The wind buffets us again, finally stilling Corr as he stops to scent it.
  7. indulgence
    the act of gratifying a desire
    My saddle’s gone, either way. I’m glad it wasn’t my father’s, back at the barn, though it was still dear; I’d had it made for me two years ago, a rare indulgence.
  8. disconcerted
    having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion
    I keep feeling I’ve forgotten to do something, until I realize that I’m disconcerted by leaving with two horses and returning with one.
  9. hooligan
    a rowdy, violent, and typically youthful troublemaker
    Dad didn’t approve of the festival or the races in general. He said that one bred hooligans and that the other gave those hooligans two more legs than they could steer.
  10. coveted
    greatly desired
    With illicit fervor, we piled in: Gabe took the coveted passenger seat while Finn and I fought and slapped each other in the backseat.
  11. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    The Morris looks ominous under the darkening pink sky, the widening black hands of clouds stretching across the sunset, but Finn’s face is a shining beacon in the driver’s seat as he waits for me.
  12. concede
    admit or acknowledge, often reluctantly
    “Or Ian Privett,” Jonathan concedes. “He’s got that wicked fast gray from last year.”
  13. rivulet
    a small stream
    Finn finds my left hand, opens my fingers, and puts a November cake in my palm. It oozes honey and butter, rivulets of the creamy frosting joining the honey in the pit of my hand.
  14. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
    I’m not sure which exact statute governs this, but it’s closely related to the one that won’t let you thank him.
  15. timbre
    the distinctive property of a complex sound
    I can’t get the mare goddess out of my head: the timbre of her voice, the imagined feel of her breath on my skin.
  16. sullenly
    in a manner showing a brooding ill humor
    I stand at the counter and Beech Gratton sullenly takes my order. It’s not me he resents, but the job, keeping him in when he wants out to the festival.
  17. inept
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
    They’ll crowd the beach bad as the first day of training, inept and over-brave.
  18. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
    For so many years I have taken every precaution to keep Mutt alive for his father: put him on the safest horse I can manage, trained the hell out of that horse to make it impervious to the ocean, watched him in training to make sure that no one else interfered with him.
  19. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
    No one moves for me, however, so I get a mouthful of wayward shoulders and a rib cage full of elbows.
  20. doleful
    filled with or evoking sadness
    He casts a doleful look toward Elizabeth.
  21. sequester
    set apart from others
    I wonder suddenly what Father Mooneyham is doing on this night—if he’s sequestered in St. Columba’s, praying that the members of his congregation keep their wits about them until tomorrow and that they won’t forget themselves to pagan mare goddesses.
  22. garb
    clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
    There’s Eaton in his sweaty traditional garb, standing at the base of the rock, his head craned back so he can see us.
  23. aground
    with the bottom lodged on land
    “So you want to disqualify me because of superstition,” I say. “You think ships will run aground because I ride in the races?”
  24. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    Eaton’s face reminds me of Gabe’s, down at the pub, as he looks to the crowd with an incredulous expression, certain they, too, see how difficult I’m being.
  25. sear
    make very hot and dry
    She snakes forward and slices my finger, and instead of pain, there’s a searing heat that runs all the way up to my shoulder.
  26. finery
    elaborate or showy attire and accessories
    He’s in what I think they must consider Sunday finery in America: a white V-necked sweater and light jacket over creased khaki pants.
  27. amiably
    in a friendly manner
    Seeing that I’m struggling to open the gate without setting down my buckets, he opens it for me and closes it behind me, following amiably.
  28. gander
    a quick look
    “Looking for God,” Holly says, matching my stride. “If you say he’s out here, I’ll take a gander.”
  29. tumultuous
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
    The sea is already tumultuous and dangerous, and there’s nothing to say that there won’t already be capaill uisce down there.
  30. prod
    poke or thrust abruptly
    Holly prods one of the urchins with a stone.
  31. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
    Holly stands there below me on the path, gazing up, looking incredibly well kept and domesticated in his clean sweater and his pressed slacks. But his expression is anything but vapid.
  32. homily
    a sermon on a moral or religious topic
    Father Mooneyham’s homilies are not generally painful, but you’re meant to suffer through them nonetheless.
  33. guile
    shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
    I allow him to shake my hand as if we are strangers and I raise an eyebrow at his guile.
  34. lark
    any carefree episode
    “And she’s out for a lark in front of the buyers, is it?”
  35. lope
    run easily
    On the gallop, a dark bay gelding lopes along, breathing hard.
  36. altercation
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
    As a filly, she had an altercation with a sheep truck and she has yet to make her peace with them.
  37. gale
    a strong wind moving 34–40 knots
    I can forgive her these, though, because it’s not often I need to plow through a river or race a sheep truck or trot to Skarmouth in a gale.
  38. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    He rides up on his sleek gray, Penda, who’s not so much dappled as streaked with white like the storm-crazed ocean down below.
  39. demure
    shy or modest, often in a playful or provocative way
    “Later, Kate,” Ake says, not quite meeting my eyes, suddenly demure.
  40. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    Tommy’s face is pensive.
Created on Mon Aug 19 15:40:42 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Sep 05 10:19:37 EDT 2019)

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