Sal and Gabi Break the Universe: Chapters 10–18

by Carlos Hernandez
Sal Vidón is a 13-year-old who is struggling to adjust to a new school — and whose magic tricks can disrupt time and space. When he befriends Gabi Reál and attempts to use his powers to help her sick brother, neither seventh grader is prepared for the consequences.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–9, Chapters 10–18, Chapters 19–26, Chapters 27–34, Chapter 35–Epilogue
35 words 25 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. demean
    reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
    Don’t lie to me, Sal. It demeans us both.
  2. truss
    secure with or as if with ropes
    And if Yasmany dared to mess with me—well, I had six pairs of handcuffs on me that I hadn’t gotten to use today. I’d truss him up like a calf at the rodeo and leave him in front of Principal Torres’s door.
  3. shackle
    a U-shaped bar that can be used to fasten something
    “And now,” I said to the air, “for the secret trick that will allow me to open this lock: I will squeeze the shackle as I input the combination!”
  4. mosey
    walk leisurely
    Until a hole closed, there was a risk that stuff I didn’t intend to bring over from the other universe would come through on its own. The bigger the hole, the longer it lasted, and the higher the chance that something would mosey out of it.
  5. preliminary
    preceding or in preparation for something more important
    Once we have finished with your regular homework, I will help you get started with your essay on diabetes. I’ve done some preliminary research.
  6. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    I took that as a none-too-subtle cue and left for home.
  7. idle
    run disconnected
    He quietly idled as I took a second in the middle of the road to compose myself. Then I finished crossing the street, and he cautiously drove off.
  8. patent
    obtain a document granting sole rights to an invention
    Before she opened the back door for me, she gave me one of her patented besuqueros. I guess the best way to translate that is “kissapalooza.”
  9. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    The phone launched itself out of my hands and flew sideways, breaking through the backseat window on the other side of the car. I must have watched it, rapt and in shock, even as I was violently thrown forward.
  10. commute
    a regular journey to and from your place of work
    He spent every morning commute with the seat reclined, reading science papers that had more math in them than words. He spent the evening commute on his phone playing Poocha Lucha Libre 5: Perro Sarnoso Edition, the latest and greatest version of the game.
  11. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    They stood apart at a discreet, non-jealousy-provoking distance.
  12. flail
    thrash about
    Then they leaned in until their noses touched and had a two-second whispered debate. Lots of hands flailing and shoulders shrugging.
  13. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    He sat mesmerized by Mami Muerta’s dancing, remembering good times.
  14. elated
    full of high-spirited delight
    With an unsure smile, American Stepmom cautiously took Mami Muerta’s hand. Mami Muerta, elated, whiplashed her out of her chair.
  15. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
    And Papi—how to even describe his face?—he looked thoughtful and wistful and confused and, for all that, strangely serene.
  16. peripheral
    on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary
    Too bright, I suddenly realized. My peripheral vision grew painfully brilliant.
  17. ulcer
    an inflammatory lesion resulting in decay of tissue
    As a people, those of us who are pancreatically challenged have, well, ugly paws. We get calluses and corns and ulcers more easily than you norms.
  18. homely
    lacking in physical beauty or proportion
    You learn to love your beat-up feet, the same way homely dogs are cute.
  19. bog
    wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation
    They must have stabilized my blood sugar with the IV, but I still hadn’t eaten real food in a long time. My stomach complained like a bubbling bog.
  20. entropy
    energy in a system no longer available for mechanical work
    “Lucy, mi amor, up to now, calamity physics has been helpless. We’ve known about calamitrons for more than a decade, but we’ve only been able to detect them for the last three years, thanks to these entropy sweepers.”
  21. sassy
    improperly forward or bold
    Papi yanked its battery pack out of the handle, and it instantly lost all power.
    “Why did you program that thing to be so sassy?”
  22. forage
    collect or look around for, as food
    A nurse must’ve taken out the IV after I’d fallen asleep again; all that was left in the crook of my elbow was a ball of cotton under a bandage. Nothing to stop me from foraging for some eats.
  23. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    So, gingerly, ninja-ly, I put my sock-silent feet on the floor one at a time, soft-footed it over to the door, and slipped through.
  24. ward
    block forming a division of a hospital shared by patients
    One kid in the pediatrics ward will always spot me palming a coin.
  25. plantain
    starchy banana-like fruit
    Before we could do anything, a woman exactly old enough to be Nurse Sotolongo’s mami swooped over to a table filled with huge aluminum trays of Cuban pork, rice, beans, yucca, plantains, and a jumbo plastic bowl overflowing with packaged salad.
  26. syndicate
    sell features to several publications or broadcast stations
    “Hello. My name is Reina Reál, I write an advice column called ‘No es fácil.’”
    “It’s bilingual,” said Gabi, beaming. “It’s syndicated in eight countries.”
  27. confrontational
    aggressive and prone to starting arguments or fights
    “You don’t have to be so confrontational, Jefa,” said Ms. Reál.
  28. honorary
    given as an award without the normal duties
    So, okay, they were honorary dads.
  29. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “I’m a meteorologist!” said Lightning Dad indignantly.
  30. livelihood
    the financial means whereby one supports oneself
    “Bad jokes are my livelihood!”
  31. neonatal
    relating to the infant during the first month after birth
    I followed Gabi to the neonatal intensive care unit.
  32. sterile
    free of pathological microorganisms
    The sterile-environment ward sounded like a machine exhaling. It felt a little colder than the rest of the hospital.
  33. splay
    widen or spread apart
    The books, magazines, and little medical advice cards splayed over the nightstands were there to help the grown-ups pass the time while their kids fought for their lives.
  34. marrow
    network of connective tissue filling the cavities of bones
    “Anytime someone says ‘bone marrow transplant is an option for your infant,’ the odds aren’t great.”
  35. deadpan
    deliberately impassive in manner
    “I can’t even see his hand, Gabi.”
    “It’s at the end of his arm,” she deadpanned. “That’s where humans keep their hands.”
Created on Wed Dec 11 10:47:46 EST 2019 (updated Tue Dec 17 13:13:17 EST 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.