Carry On, Mr. Bowditch: Chapters 20–24

by Jean Lee Latham
This novel is a fictionalized biography of Nathaniel Bowditch, a mathematical genius who begins work as an indentured servant on a ship before becoming a captain and celebrated navigator.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–19, Chapters 20–24
35 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    Dingy decks were holystoned white, and the rigging was taut, tarred, and dressed in its chafing gear.
  2. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
    Mr. Towsen, the petulant second mate, came to Nat’s cabin one night.
  3. offhand
    casually thoughtless or inconsiderate
    Prince shrugged in an offhand way. “Why not?”
  4. varnish
    a coating that provides a hard, lustrous finish to a surface
    It was September when they sailed smartly into Boston Harbor, every man an old salt, the Astrea stripped of her chafing gear and gleaming with fresh paint and varnish.
  5. reproachful
    expressing disapproval, blame, or disappointment
    Mrs. Boardman looked reproachful. “Polly! You’re not going to be a bit of help to me! I tell you, he’s working too hard.”
  6. galley
    the area for food preparation on a ship
    “And tomorrow night, you’ll have to raid the galley for your own lunch.”
  7. parallax
    apparent displacement of an object as seen from two points
    Polly read the page-long letter, bristling with words like amplitude, parallax, and refraction.
  8. refraction
    the amount by which a propagating wave is bent
    Polly read the page-long letter, bristling with words like amplitude, parallax, and refraction.
  9. ample
    more than enough in size or scope or capacity
    They say it’s the most correct and ample book on navigation in existence.
  10. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    Zack sidled to the door before he fired his parting shot.
  11. rankle
    make resentful or angry
    She knew what rankled in Nat’s mind—beyond the loss and the disappointment.
  12. inoculation
    taking a vaccine as a precaution against a disease
    Inoculation was risky—but not as bad as the epidemics of smallpox. Then vaccination came along.
  13. wryly
    in a humorously sarcastic or mocking manner
    Dr. Holyoke smiled wryly. “That ought to convince all America—but Salem. A prophet is without honor in his own country, you know.”
  14. confer
    present
    I have the pleasure of informing you officially that on Commencement day, the 25th instant, the degree of Master of Arts was conferred on you.
  15. unanimous
    in complete agreement
    It gives me further pleasure to acquaint you that this degree was unanimously voted by the Corporation of the University, and unanimously confirmed by the Overseers.
  16. esteem
    an attitude of admiration
    I am, sir,
    with much esteem
    your very humble servant
    JOSEPH WILLARD
    President of Harvard College
  17. upshot
    a phenomenon that is caused by some previous phenomenon
    Well, the upshot of it was that I was picked up by the Julius, bound for Sumatra.
  18. amuck
    wildly; without self-control
    Maybe he just run amuck! You know, they do that. All at once, they just get tired of living, and they go crazy.
  19. shingle
    cover with tiles used as siding or roofing
    He’d been mending the shingled roof of their little house when the ladder had slipped sideways.
  20. tinge
    color lightly
    The clouds were strange shapes now and tinged with copper; the wind freshened.
  21. helm
    steering mechanism for a vessel
    Two men at the helm now.
  22. warily
    in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Warily they inched their way through coral reefs to their anchorage.
  23. tang
    a pungent and distinctive odor
    The fragrance of frangipani, honeysuckle, and jasmine grew heavy enough to strangle a man. Nat longed for the tang of a sea breeze off the North Atlantic.
  24. throng
    press tightly together or cram
    More brown men thronged into the square.
  25. mirth
    great merriment
    With his mirthless smile and his watching eyes, he explained. Their captain, he said, was a harsh man. He liked to work his crew hard.
  26. haggard
    showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
    Soon his men stood facing their captain—a tired crew, haggard with the long months of heat and the grinding toil of the passage to the Isle of France.
  27. toil
    productive work, especially physical work done for wages
    Soon his men stood facing their captain—a tired crew, haggard with the long months of heat and the grinding toil of the passage to the Isle of France.
  28. provision
    supply with a stock of food or supplies
    Then—when we’ve wooded, watered, and provisioned, we’ll weigh anchor.
  29. subside
    wear off or die down
    At last the storms subsided.
  30. fathom
    a linear unit of measurement for water depth
    Mr. Denny sang out, “Sixty fathoms!”
  31. deluge
    fill or cover completely, usually with water
    Then the stormy North Atlantic proved that all the other gales had been mere child’s play. For seven days and nights the Putnam was deluged and hammered.
  32. shroud
    form a cover like a burial garment
    When they spoke they growled in low voices, as though the fog that shrouded the world had muffled their words.
  33. roil
    be agitated
    It only blew more clouds of fog to roil and billow over the Putnam.
  34. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    It only blew more clouds of fog to roil and billow over the Putnam.
  35. waver
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
    Nat was motionless. His glass never wavered from the point toward which he stared.
Created on Mon Apr 11 11:37:29 EDT 2022 (updated Mon Apr 18 09:43:13 EDT 2022)

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