I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79: Chapters 8–16

by Lauren Tarshis
In this tenth book of the historical fiction I Survived series, eleven-year-old Marcus, trying to escape his life as a slave in the Roman Empire, is halfway up Mount Vesuvius, when he hears rumbles and hisses.

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

words only definitions & notes
  1. nicker
    make a soft sound characteristic of a horse
    Peg nickered as though she agreed, and Marcus and Tata laughed.
  2. ruthless
    without mercy or pity
    If there was one thing Marcus had learned these past two months, it was this: The world was a dark, evil place. Only the most ruthless would survive.
  3. moor
    secure in or as if in a berth or dock
    He made out the shapes of the houses crowded together along the city walls, the boats moored in the harbor.
  4. stench
    a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
    A burning, rotten stench rushed into Marcus’s lungs.
  5. spew
    expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth
    Peg was rearing in panic, white foam spewing from her mouth.
  6. fumble
    handle clumsily
    Tata fumbled with her rope, finally untying it.
  7. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    Tata and Marcus collapsed to the ground, gulping the fresh air into their lungs.
    “Tata,” Marcus rasped. “What was that?”
  8. jut
    extend out or project in space
    He stood and climbed onto a boulder that jutted out from the grassy slope, looking all around.
  9. foul
    offensively malodorous
    And the trickle of water tasted so foul they could barely choke it down.
  10. splay
    widen or spread apart
    Then he saw the sheep—at least twenty of them—all splayed out on their sides or backs.
  11. agony
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    It was true—there was not a speck of blood, no bite marks, no wounds at all.
    But her tongue bulged out of her mouth and her eyes were wide in agony.
  12. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    The force of the blast knocked them over, and sent Marcus tumbling down the steep slope.
  13. hurtle
    move with or as if with a rushing sound
    Tata came hurtling down the hill with Peg.
  14. searing
    extremely hot
    Marcus shivered, though the heat was searing.
  15. instinct
    inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to stimuli
    Why do you think all of the animals have fled? They felt the tremors, scented the sulfur, tasted the water. Their instincts told them to flee.
  16. keenly
    in an intense or discerning manner
    Linus would say that the old woman is keenly sensitive—or that she has the mind of a great scientist.
  17. sensitive
    able to feel or perceive
    Linus would say that the old woman is keenly sensitive—or that she has the mind of a great scientist.
  18. determined
    characterized by great firmness of purpose
    It was the same determined look that Marcus had always imagined on the faces of his heroes as they prepared for their battles.
  19. summon
    gather or bring together
    Marcus reached deep inside himself, trying to summon some courage of his own.
  20. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    Tata’s plan was to speak to Pompeii’s magistrates—the men elected to lead the city.
  21. dedicated
    solemnly set apart for a high purpose
    It didn’t take long to reach the Forum—an open square surrounded by five buildings and the city’s main temple, dedicated to Jupiter.
  22. menacing
    threatening evil or danger
    The guard raised his spear menacingly.
  23. wisp
    a thin tuft, piece, or amount of something
    What he saw stopped his heart: a wisp of smoke, rising out of the peak.
  24. smolder
    have strong suppressed feelings
    His heart smoldered with hatred.
  25. upright
    in a vertical position; not sloping
    Marcus ran to his father and clung to him, struggling to stay upright as the earth rose and fell like waves on a wild river.
  26. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
    Small shards of rock showered over Marcus and Tata.
  27. roiling
    (of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence
    Marcus looked up at the roiling cloud spewing from Vesuvius.
  28. hail
    many objects thrown forcefully through the air
    They pressed themselves against the wooden door, trying to escape the hail of rocks. But the downpour was even stronger now.
  29. hoist
    move from one place to another by lifting
    With a strength he never knew he had, he hoisted Tata up the five stairs that led through the temple’s open doorway.
  30. meld
    mix or become mixed together
    The booming and whooshing and thundering and pounding had melded together into a bone-rattling roar.
  31. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    He stared at the statue intently, studying it.
  32. groove
    a long narrow furrow cut by a natural process or a tool
    His heart pounded as he dug his fingers into the gap. There was a groove in the side of one of the tiles.
  33. rickety
    inclined to shake as from weakness or defect
    All they could see was a rickety wooden ladder leading down into the blackness.
  34. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    The smell of sulfur wafted up, stinging Marcus’s eyes.
  35. inspire
    supply the idea for
    Marcus tried to fix his thoughts on his heroes, to gather strength from the stories that had always inspired him.
Created on Tue Oct 24 17:57:11 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Oct 27 12:29:15 EDT 2023)

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