Ikenga: Chapters 1–2

by Nnedi Okorafor
In Kaleria, Nigeria, twelve-year-old Nnamdi is on a mission to avenge his father's death with the help of his best friend and newly acquired supernatural powers.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–7, Chapters 8–15, Chapters 16–23
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ebony
    hard dark-colored wood used to make furniture
    He was yards away, lying in an open ebony casket under the black tent next to the high-reaching palm tree that grew beside the house.
  2. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    He was dressed in his impeccable police chief uniform, the same type of uniform he’d been wearing on the night he died.
  3. sweltering
    excessively hot and humid; marked by sweating and faintness
    The sun was especially harsh today, and even under the tent, it was sweltering hot.
  4. flounder
    have difficulties; behave awkwardly
    A drummer beat out a floundering rhythm and the dancers moved distractedly.
  5. usurp
    seize and take control without authority
    He saw a procession of ten fashionably dressed, gold- and diamond-wearing, attention- usurping women and men filing into the compound.
  6. prominent
    conspicuous in position or importance
    These were the most prominent criminals in Kaleria.
  7. regal
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    That regal old woman wearing the red abada textile clothing had to be Mama Go-Slow.
  8. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
    All of them were strutting like celebrities on the red carpet, when they were actually unwanted guests at the chief of police’s burial service.
  9. procession
    the action of a group moving ahead in regular formation
    Leading this procession was an expensively dressed man who was even shorter than Nnamdi.
  10. apprehend
    take into police custody
    Angry and disgusted, Nnamdi’s father had personally investigated and pursued the case, and then he and a team of officers apprehended the thieves.
  11. petty
    (of a crime) lesser in seriousness or importance
    Nnamdi's father refused all bribes and his efforts were starting to result in a decrease in petty crime in Kaleria.
  12. cohort
    a company of companions or supporters
    He'd drawn charts on the dry-erase board as officers threw out ideas, and the department put together a great plan that would target each of the Chief of Chiefs' main cohorts while diplomatically approaching the Chief of Chiefs.
  13. diplomatic
    marked by tact in dealing with sensitive matters or people
    He'd drawn charts on the dry-erase board as officers threw out ideas, and the department put together a great plan that would target each of the Chief of Chiefs' main cohorts while diplomatically approaching the Chief of Chiefs.
  14. corruption
    use of a position of trust for dishonest gain
    During this meeting, the Chief of Chiefs promised to turn his energy toward combating the growing crime and corruption in Kaleria instead of fueling it.
  15. entourage
    the group following and attending to some important person
    Everyone in the compound was staring at the Chief of Chiefs and his entourage.
  16. constable
    a law officer with limited authority
    As she read it, Mr. Oke, their lanky old gateman, came running from his post accompanied by Constable Ukoro.
  17. appalled
    struck with dread, shock, or dismay
    Nnamdi and his mother were appalled to see that the newsletter printed the Chief of Chiefs' words, even including a photo of the actual letter.
  18. mortified
    made to feel uncomfortable because of shame or wounded pride
    Nnamdi was so mortified that he'd broken out into a cold sweat after reading it and had then hidden in his room that entire day.
  19. immaculate
    completely neat and clean
    The Chief of Chiefs was dressed in an immaculate flowing white agbada that made him look like a rolling snowball, and white trousers with golden cuffs.
  20. stature
    the height of a standing person
    The man's short stature had blinded his perception for a moment.
  21. caftan
    a long loose dress or tunic
    Thankfully, he was wearing a long black caftan and black pants.
  22. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    “My sister is too distraught to speak.”
  23. churn
    be agitated
    Nnamdi’s stomach churned with acid.
  24. amble
    walk leisurely
    He bit his lip hard as he watched the Chief of Chiefs amble off and mingle with some of Nnamdi’s aunts and even members of the police department.
  25. snide
    expressive of contempt
    In the back of his mind, a snide voice said, Stop talking big words.
  26. idealistic
    motivated by noble or moral beliefs rather than practicality
    You think you're one of the superheroes in your comic books? Those are just simple idealistic stories and you're just a child.
  27. gruff
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or emotion
    Whenever he saw it, his father humphed with irritation and said in his deep, gruff voice, “What is the point of an apple made of glass?!”
  28. insignificant
    devoid of importance, meaning, or force
    Stealing insignificant things from the house of the police chief he’d just murdered was icing on the cake.
  29. cultivate
    prepare for crops
    Nnamdi’s mother said that after he became chief of police, the garden grew like crazy. The more Kaleria’s well-being became his responsibility, the more he planted and cultivated and maintained.
  30. thrive
    grow vigorously
    Now only wild grass, aggressively creeping touch-and-die plants, and tiger lilies were thriving here.
  31. gangly
    tall, thin, and awkward
    Everything about Chioma Nwazota was long, from her gangly legs and arms to her bushy hair she usually braided herself.
  32. brood
    think moodily or anxiously about something
    He just wanted to sit, think, and brood.
  33. sheer
    complete and without restriction
    That late afternoon she’d caught and released a large blue butterfly and the sheer delight on her face as she watched it fly away made his father laugh.
  34. invincible
    incapable of being overcome or subdued
    "Chief looked so tall that day,” she said. "His shadow stretched and stretched like he was a giant. Like he was invincible.”
  35. cue
    a reminder for some action or speech
    Bad Market was known for causing a bad smell after he'd "collected” from people in the market. It was the cue to check your pockets and realize your valuables were long gone.
  36. riffraff
    common or disreputable people
    “I just think I should do something.”
    “About what? The Chief of Chiefs? The riffraff he works with? What could you do? Did you hear about Mama Go-Slow?”
  37. rubbish
    worthless material that is to be disposed of
    My mother says this town used to be rich and now it’s becoming rubbish. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Even your father couldn’t stop these people and all the corruption.
  38. tapioca
    cassava starch used to thicken foods, especially puddings
    Nnamdi had been unfamiliar with tapioca until his mother started selling it. He’d helped his mother arrange the shredded boiled stalks of cassava onto the tray every evening.
  39. feeble
    lacking strength or vigor
    His eye fell on a feeble but still living yam vine.
  40. delicate
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
    He sighed and then he wished for one thing with all his heart: that he was a grown man who could protect his mother. As he caressed the yam’s delicate green vine, he knew full well that it was a stupid wish.
Created on Mon Dec 19 09:01:09 EST 2022 (updated Thu Mar 16 12:20:55 EDT 2023)

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