The Last Mapmaker: Chapters 8–13

by Christina Soontornvat
In the Kingdom of Mangkon, twelve-year-old Sodsai Mudawan lies about her family's background so that she could have a chance at a bright future.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–13, Chapters 14–22, Chapters 23–30, Chapters 31–42
40 words 18 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
    Our ship was called the Prosperity, which was just one more sign of my good luck.
  2. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Mud glowered and planted his feet in front of the door.
  3. provisions
    a stock or supply of foods
    Whoever was bringing him provisions dropped off a dinner of fried eggs and rice.
  4. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    Mud lay sprawled on the floor between the table and the door.
  5. stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    I fled past the Rooster Room, weaving my way around the sour-smelling customers staggering home.
  6. allot
    give out
    I would be allotted some basic clothes for the expedition, but I couldn’t show up at the harbor looking like a beggar or they wouldn’t even let me on the ship.
  7. throng
    a large gathering of people
    Throngs of people stood crammed together, shoulder to shoulder.
  8. lumber
    move heavily or clumsily
    I turned, thinking I might backtrack, but then I saw Mud lumbering down the street behind me.
  9. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    I could hear Mud’s voice behind me, bellowing above the din.
  10. loathe
    dislike intensely; feel disgust toward
    Even in my desperate hurry, I paused to reflect on how much I loathed her.
  11. decree
    a legally binding command or decision
    “Free egg buns by the Queen's decree! Hurrah!”
  12. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    Near the water, the ancient Council members stood on a makeshift stage, solemn as funeral goers.
  13. sheaf
    a package of several things tied together
    She pointed to a man in a dark-blue uniform near the bandstand, holding a sheaf of papers under his arm.
  14. croon
    sing softly
    The band started up, and a singer began crooning our national anthem.
  15. manifest
    a document listing the contents put on a ship or plane
    I bolted to the end of the gangplank, where the officer with the ship’s manifest now stood.
  16. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    Sheets of sailcloth billowed loose overhead, then snapped taut in the wind.
  17. queasy
    causing or able to cause nausea
    I clutched the edges of my hammock, trying to ignore the rocking of the ship. My queasy stomach slung side to side while my thoughts sloshed around inside my head.
  18. galley
    the area for food preparation on a ship
    The new renovations had divided the first of these decks into a warren of smaller rooms: the galley, the doctor’s surgery, the carpenters’ quarters, and my tiny room, which must have been some sort of converted closet.
  19. shaft
    a column of light
    To my left, a shaft of bright light shone down the companionway, the name for the staircase that led to the main deck above.
  20. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    A rooster spotted me with its scale-crusted eye, and I lurched back as it lunged at its cage, talons out.
  21. tackle
    gear consisting of ropes supporting a ship's masts and sails
    I caught confused glimpses of the parts of the ship I had tried to learn from old Grandmother Noom before I left: stays and tackle, shrouds and ratlines.
  22. stern
    the rear part of a ship
    I made my way toward the rear of the ship—the stern, where the quarterdeck and top deck rose like cake tiers above all the commotion of the main deck below.
  23. embroider
    decorate with needlework
    He stood near the ship’s shrine, speaking with a man and a woman who were clearly not sailors. They looked completely out of place, dressed like nobles in silk trousers and embroidered jackets.
  24. specimen
    an example regarded as typical of its class
    Paiyoon explained, “Mr. Lark is collecting specimens of interesting plants and insects to bring back to court.”
  25. stifled
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    Unlike Lark and Pinching, who looked sweaty and stifled in their silk clothes, this woman moved easily among the sailors, as if she’d spent all her life on ships.
  26. credentials
    a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
    “Duties? Ha! She looks like a society peacock to me, nothing more. I’m sure she has no credentials whatsoever.”
  27. preen
    dress or groom with elaborate care
    This was funny coming from Lark, who was dressed more like a preening peacock than anyone.
  28. revered
    profoundly honored
    No other captain who had sailed during the War had sunk more enemy ships than Sangra. She was revered all over Mangkon for her bravery, even more so because she could have easily gotten out of serving altogether.
  29. hack
    cough spasmodically
    My seasickness had faded by the next day, but I kept pretending to hack up my guts so I could stay in my room as much as possible.
  30. scrawl
    write carelessly
    When I looked closer, I realized that what I had thought was embroidery were actually faded lines scrawled onto the fabric with an ink pen.
  31. trinket
    a small cheap ornament, knickknack, or piece of jewelry
    There’s an old woman there who sells trinkets from all over the globe.
  32. fray
    wear away by rubbing
    I gently ran my finger along the fraying edge of one of the silks.
  33. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    But the best part of the map had nothing to do with geography: a long, elegant dragon snaked through the islands, its body undulating like waves around the shores.
  34. regal
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    I’d never seen someone walk the way she did—regal as a lady but whistling like a schoolgirl.
  35. tacky
    tastelessly showy
    “It’s probably tacky to be showing it off up here on deck. But it’s fairly new, and I guess I’m still a little proud of it.”
  36. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
    Tall Captain Sangra strode down the top deck stairs flanked by her first and second lieutenants, with a half dozen junior officers following behind.
  37. unyielding
    stubbornly unwilling to give in
    She looked so solid and unyielding that I wondered if she even needed battle armor.
  38. brig
    a prison, especially a military prison on board a ship
    “Afterward, the thief shall remain locked in the brig and be discharged at our next port,” said Sangra.
  39. shoal
    a large group of fish
    As quickly as they had assembled, the crew scattered like a shoal of startled fish.
  40. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    But as Rian passed the woman, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a chunk of bread. Quickly and discreetly, she handed it to the woman without breaking stride.
Created on Sat Mar 25 13:26:59 EDT 2023 (updated Sun Mar 26 14:55:16 EDT 2023)

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