The Radium Girls: Prologue–Chapter 9

by Kate Moore
Adapted especially for young readers, this book tells the true story of women who worked painting watch dials with radium paint — and became ill as a consequence.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue–Chapter 9, Chapters 10–16, Chapters 17–25, Chapters 26–35, Chapter 36–Postscript
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. luminous
    softly bright or radiant
    Deep in the dark pocket of the scientist, the radium broke through the gloom with an unending, eerie glow. “These gleamings,” Marie wrote of its luminous effect, “stirred us with ever-new emotion and enchantment.”
  2. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    Katherine Schaub had a jaunty spring in her step as she walked the brief four blocks to work.
  3. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    Radium water was drunk daily as a health tonic.
  4. dub
    give a nickname to
    The element was dubbed “liquid sunshine,” and it was an entrepreneur's dream.
  5. taper
    give a point to
    It was a technique called lip-pointing. Katherine had to suck on the brush to make it taper to a point. Following the company’s instructions, Katherine put the brush to her lips, dipped it in the radium, and painted the dials. It was a “lip, dip, paint routine.”
  6. glamorous
    having an air of allure, romance and excitement
    Yet she was constantly reminded why she wanted to be part of the glamorous workforce. The dust-covered dial-painters shone like otherworldly angels all around her. And they dressed like queens, in expensive silks and furs.
  7. extraction
    a process of obtaining something from a mixture or compound
    The company was expanding, now doing its own radium extraction, which required laboratories and processing plants.
  8. revel
    take delight in
    Though the pace was demanding, the setup was still rather fun for the women. They reveled in the drama of long shifts painting dials for their country. Now and then, they even found time for a game.
  9. striking
    sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
    He would hold tubes of glowing radium with his bare hands or immerse his arm up to the elbow in radium solutions. His careless attitude was striking because von Sochocky knew that radium was in fact very dangerous.
  10. refine
    treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition
    The men who were extracting and refining radium in the labs were provided with safety equipment, such as lead-lined aprons and ivory-tipped forceps.
  11. abrasive
    causing irritation or erosion by friction
    Mesothorium was more abrasive than radium, and—most importantly—much cheaper.
  12. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
    Radium paint was now applied to fun and frivolous items, such as dolls’ eyes, theater seats, fish bait, and even slippers (so you’d never lose them in the night).
  13. devise
    arrange by systematic planning and united effort
    The company had devised a new strategy.
  14. helm
    a position of leadership
    The newly named United States Radium Corporation (USRC) seemed destined for great things in the postwar world, but von Sochocky wouldn’t be at the helm to guide it through whatever lay ahead.
  15. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    Mollie Maggia poked her tongue gingerly into the gap where her tooth had once been.
  16. ulcer
    an inflammatory lesion resulting in decay of tissue
    Painful ulcers sprouted in the holes left behind, hurting Mollie even more than the teeth had.
  17. rheumatism
    any painful disorder of the joints or muscles
    “My sister,” Quinta Maggia McDonald remembered, “began having trouble with her teeth and her jawbone and her hips and feet. We thought it rheumatism [a disease that makes your joints and muscles stiff and usually occurs in older people].”
  18. abscess
    a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue
    Mollie’s entire lower jaw, the roof of her mouth, and even the bones of her ears were like one huge abscess.
  19. prod
    push against gently
    Knef prodded delicately at the bone in her mouth.
  20. anemic
    relating to or having a deficiency of red blood cells
    She soon became anemic, meaning she didn’t have enough red blood cells.
  21. stricken
    grievously affected especially by disease
    Her mouth, empty of teeth, empty of jawbone, empty of words, filled with red, hot blood instead. It spilled over her lips and down her stricken, shaken face.
  22. delicate
    marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
    Records show that some dial-painters were as young as eleven. In truth, the nimble fingers of young girls suited the delicate work of dial-painting.
  23. phosphorescent
    emitting light without appreciable heat
    “The girls were the envy of others in the little Illinois town when they stepped out with...their dresses and hats and sometimes even their hands and faces aglow with the phosphorescence of the luminous paint,” a newspaper reported.
  24. accordingly
    in agreement with
    Their Manual for Employees read, “We expect you to work hard, and the pay is accordingly large...If you do not expect to work hard and carefully, you are in the wrong place.”
  25. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    Irene got tentatively to her feet as she heard her name being called by Dr. Barry.
  26. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    As Barry examined Irene’s butchered mouth at this latest appointment, on November 8, 1922, he could see that there was only more infection, inflaming her empty gums with an unhealthy yellow sheen.
  27. flapper
    an unconventional young woman in the 1920s
    Many of the women had their hair bobbed short in the latest flapper style.
  28. conscientious
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
    But now all the girls remaining—the jokers and the quiet ones, the conscientious and the unconcerned—sat still for the photographer.
  29. attribute
    explain or regard as resulting from a particular cause
    Her death was attributed to her work, but the cause was given as phosphorus poisoning.
  30. foreman
    a person who exercises control over workers
    At the end, it said simply, “A foreman [at the plant] said [her] claims were not true.”
  31. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    Christmas Day was a solemn occasion after her gruesome experience.
  32. compel
    force somebody to do something
    “I have been compelled to go to the hospital so often,” Grace later said, “that it seems like a second home.”
  33. mystify
    be puzzling or bewildering to
    Jennie had a strange knee complaint, which had been mystifying Humphries ever since he’d taken her case.
  34. negligent
    characterized by undue lack of attention or concern
    They apologized for seeming negligent and finally interviewed the affected girls.
  35. compensation
    something given or received as payment or reparation
    In it, she told the firm that she was going to make a legal claim against them for compensation.
Created on Tue Mar 02 09:29:44 EST 2021 (updated Tue Mar 09 11:31:44 EST 2021)

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