I Lived on Butterfly Hill: List 1

by Marjorie Agosín
With their country in turmoil, Celeste's parents go into hiding and send Celeste to Maine to keep her safe.

This list covers Part I: "Celeste Like the Sky" to "Teatime Aflame."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
35 words 238 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    “Let’s walk!” Gloria calls to us over the din.
  2. intuition
    instinctive knowing, without the use of rational processes
    He’s always teasing me but also always encouraging me to trust what he calls my intuition.
  3. bate
    moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
    We all know the answer, but wait with bated breath for the pendulum to prove us right.
  4. gloat
    dwell on with satisfaction
    “I knew it! I could have told you that a week ago!” Marisol gloats triumphantly.
  5. torrent
    a violently fast stream of water or other liquid
    When we leave Café Iris, we step into torrents of muddy water pouring down the steep street.
  6. drafty
    not airtight; exposed to currents of air
    I climb the drafty, winding stairs to my blue bedroom that’s so high, at night I imagine I am sleeping on a cloud in the sky.
  7. palate
    the ability to taste, judge, and appreciate food
    Delfina calls cilantro and parsley “little trees for the palate” and adds them to every dish, even desserts.
  8. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    “¡Ay, Nana!” I stop chopping, exasperated.
  9. seemingly
    from appearances alone
    It’s a mysterious city where fairies and lost sailors live, and ghosts stroll through the port. They are usually happy ghosts and a little bit tipsy. That’s why at night things seemingly float through the air and land somewhere else in the morning.
  10. diurnal
    of or belonging to or active during the day
    Some are diurnal gardens that dance in the sunshine, and others are full of shy, nocturnal flowers that wait until Valparaíso is sleeping to bloom.
  11. lull
    make calm or still
    My mother planted this garden below my room when I was a baby so that I could be lulled to sleep by the fragrance of moonflowers with heart-shaped leaves, angel’s trumpets, and fairy lilies, all blossoming in the moonlight.
  12. reverie
    an abstracted state of absorption
    My reverie is interrupted by a knock on my bedroom door.
  13. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    What is left of the houses floats like driftwood. The little children play on them while the older ones rush to help their parents collect the remnants of their possessions, floating every which way and sinking down into the mud.
  14. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
    I don’t know if it is the stench of rotting homes and putrefied food, or the sight of the vestiges of entire lives floating down a murky street, but suddenly a great wave of nausea passes over me.
  15. ailment
    an often persistent bodily disorder or disease
    But this isn’t one patient or one ailment—this is so many people, all suffering from loss and hunger, shivering in the damp morning cold.
  16. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    I plod ahead, defeated.
  17. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    I look back at the ramshackle neighborhood and think about Minerva.
  18. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I stifle my giggles.
  19. nostalgia
    a longing for something past
    Papá says Abuela suffers from an illness called nostalgia, which often is cured with a sprinkle of love, some lemon, a few raisins, and many slices of avocado.
  20. amiss
    not functioning properly
    I don’t know of anything amiss, but when you speak of big ships gathering together, it makes me afraid...but maybe that’s just because I have seen war.
  21. steerage
    the cheapest accommodations on a passenger ship
    But that night, in steerage—the belly of the ship, where the poorest passengers slept—I met your grandfather José.
  22. embroider
    decorate with needlework
    Girls can wear either skirts or pants—I almost always choose pants, although Abuela Frida says I should wear a skirt because it looks more ladylike—and over them we tie white smocks with our names embroidered in red letters.
  23. threadbare
    thin and tattered with age
    Like me, Señorita Alvarado is very small, and no matter the weather, she always wears a red leather coat that’s a bit threadbare at the collar and the elbows, and so long that it drags behind her like a train when she walks.
  24. patron
    someone who supports or champions something
    She marks an old calendar with her favorite saints’ birthdays, like Saint Peter, the patron saint of the sea.
  25. modest
    humble in spirit or manner
    I don’t want Delfina to find out I am writing about her—it would make her feel embarrassed. First, because she is so modest. “What is there to say about Delfina?” she might protest.
  26. prattle
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
    Señora Espindola is the roly-poly lunch lady who all the kids say swallowed an electric radio—that’s how much she prattles on and on between ladles of chicken stew.
  27. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    Delfina’s voice wafts up to me with the scent of sopaipillas.
  28. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    “Cristóbal, what are you doing here?” I ask tentatively, almost afraid of his answer.
  29. vehemently
    in a forceful manner
    Cristóbal shakes his head vehemently.
  30. aback
    by surprise
    Taken aback, I hold in tears and do what she says.
  31. solidarity
    a union of interests or purposes among members of a group
    I listen to words hurriedly flying back and forth about “the situation in this country.” Solidarity. Justice. Criminal. Consensus.
  32. consensus
    agreement in the judgment reached by a group as a whole
    I listen to words hurriedly flying back and forth about “the situation in this country.” Solidarity. Justice. Criminal. Consensus.
  33. reel
    be dizzy, disoriented, or bewildered
    I nearly lose my balance—my mind is reeling in shock and confusion.
  34. adamant
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    He shakes his head adamantly.
  35. trellis
    latticework used to support climbing plants
    I hold my breath and watch Cristóbal climb down the trellis that leads to my dolls’ garden.
Created on Fri Jun 11 14:39:35 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Jun 17 09:16:42 EDT 2021)

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