The Marvellers: List 2

by Dhonielle Clayton
In this first book of The Conjureverse series, eleven-year-old Ella Durand is admitted into the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors, where she must prove to the magical sky-dwellers that her earthly background and Underworld abilities can be trusted.

This list covers Chapter 5–"Pocket Doors" in Part I: A Brand-New World.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
40 words 17 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. roil
    be agitated
    Emotions roiled inside her: from pride at the beauty of the tree to bubbling anger at having to move to hot humiliation about what everyone must think.
  2. harlequin
    a clown or buffoon
    Ella's eyes found the clown doll sitting on Brigit's nightstand. It didn't look like a regular one from a circus back home. It was dressed in a diamond-checkered costume with a pointed hat and a ruffled collar. Maybe a harlequin?
  3. divination
    the art or gift of prophecy by supernatural means
    Divination laboratories wore curious signs:
    DO NOT DISTURB—READINGS IN PROGRESS!
    SENSITIVE PROPHECIES ABOUT!
  4. scry
    divine the future, especially by gazing into a crystal ball
    Scrying mirrors called out, “Have a glimpse of your future and revisit your past."
  5. kindred
    similar in quality or character
    "I think the Marvel Exam will say that I have kindred marvel—always been able to communicate with animals. It’s a Paragon of Sound.”
  6. prompt
    according to schedule or without delay
    A bell-blimp skated into the tower, releasing three high-pitched chimes, and the voice of Headmarveller MacDonald boomed: “All trainees please report to your first-period sessions. You will earn two demerits for lateness. A reminder—if you reach ten in a week, you'll earn Saturday detention. All the light and good marvelling. Be well, and most importantly, prompt.”
  7. primp
    dress or groom with elaborate care
    Lian primped, using a tiny comb to make sure her bangs were perfect.
  8. wince
    make a face indicating disgust or dislike
    “To marvel means to witness or to gander. The first Marvellers felt that all magical people”—Ella tried not to wince at using that word—“and their marvels were supposed to be celebrated. Everyone might speak a different language, look different, or have different gifts, but they all come from the stars and belong together. So they decided to make it official and form a community to protect themselves and embrace their gifts.”
  9. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Brigit skulked in, mantle disheveled, no satchel, and holding that strange-looking clown doll.
  10. utility
    the quality of being of practical use
    I don't do anything fancy. That's not my schtick. Utility is the name of the game.
  11. stifle
    smother or suppress
    The other instructors stifled their laughter.
  12. faculty
    the body of teachers and administrators at a school
    “And last, but certainly not least, are Madame Sera Baptiste—our newest faculty member and head of the new area of study, the Conjure Arts—and Masterji Thakur, Elixirs extraordinaire. He makes our wonderful Elixir of Light that helps identify each of your marvels.”
  13. elixir
    a sweet flavored liquid used in compounding medicines
    I will be teaching you about elixirs, unlocking the power of three-thousand-year-old spices and how they aid in marvelling. The tongue tells truth!
  14. bigotry
    intolerance and prejudice
    “We welcome all who contain light and all who wish to train here at the Arcanum Institute. We will have none of this discriminatory behavior. In the press, many have expressed opinions about our decision to change… But it's just that, our decision, and we have made it. That bigotry is not to find its way into our walls.”
  15. ostracize
    expel from a community or group
    When we started living together as magical people, we ostracized many citizens of our own community. People struggled to find acceptance and understanding of their unique abilities.
  16. excommunicate
    formally oust or exclude from a group
    Let's get something straight—the Aces were a misguided group of Arcanum students. Many turned into criminal adults after being expelled. But we dealt with it as a community, and they were excommunicated from our cities and our society or rehabilitated and given second chances.
  17. anarchy
    a state of lawlessness and disorder
    Placed in the Paragon of Vision, she found that even her fellow trainees distanced themselves and nicknamed her the Ace of Anarchy, a troublemaker.
  18. troupe
    an organization of performers and associated personnel
    But her father had thought it extraordinary, and the two of them had put on grand plays where she’d transform into every character, and she’d helped him turn his struggling commedia dell'arte theater into the greatest Marvellian show there ever was, the Trivelino Troupe's Circus & Imaginarium of Illusions.
  19. filigree
    delicate and intricate ornamentation
    The look of it reminded Ella of a jewelry box she'd spotted on Gran's dresser with writhing filigree, twisted threads of gold on its lid.
  20. arbiter
    someone with the power to settle matters at will
    Over her voluminous Afro floated a bright balloon with a flashing sign—HEAD LIBRARIAN AND ARBITER OF ALL INFORMATION, MADAME MADGE.
  21. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
    She darted to the nearest staircase, passing more wizened librarians toting armfuls of books, automats leading sullen trainees with detention slips, and people browsing.
  22. sullen
    showing a brooding ill humor
    She darted to the nearest staircase, passing more wizened librarians toting armfuls of books, automats leading sullen trainees with detention slips, and people browsing.
  23. gauzy
    so thin as to transmit light
    A gauzy veil stretched around the perimeter like curtains on a four-poster bed.
  24. susceptible
    yielding readily to or capable of undergoing a process
    Many laws have been passed to make sure everyone stays on the right path, but Marvellers, like Fewels, are susceptible to the Fewel qualities of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, etc.
  25. vanguard
    a creative group active in the innovation of new concepts
    It was the sort of thing she'd seen in one of the Marvellian vintage catalogs Mama pretended not to order from—Victoria Valerino’s Vintage Vanguard.
  26. adhere
    be compatible or in accordance with
    We must adhere to all rules and push forth rule-based learning in a controlled environment.
  27. oscillate
    move or swing from side to side regularly
    A sushi conveyor belt oscillated over different tables while ornate food carts looped in and out of the aisles toting all sorts of wonders: pizza towers floating one over the other, forever noodles stretching by the second, teasing tamales opening and closing their corn husks, glass boxes churning out rainbow popcorn, laughing latkes and spinning samosas, a chocolate fountain with shortbread stapier sticks for dipping, and more.
  28. samosa
    fried Indian turnover filled with vegetables or meat
    A sushi conveyor belt oscillated over different tables while ornate food carts looped in and out of the aisles toting all sorts of wonders: pizza towers floating one over the other, forever noodles stretching by the second, teasing tamales opening and closing their corn husks, glass boxes churning out rainbow popcorn, laughing latkes and spinning samosas, a chocolate fountain with shortbread stapier sticks for dipping, and more.
  29. decadent
    relating to indulgence in something pleasurable
    Ella felt transported to a decadent palace in the northern states of India.
  30. saffron
    aromatic dried stigmas of a crocus flower, used as flavoring
    Ella tried to read all the labels—tarragon, fae rose, fennel, wombie gold, saffron, cinnamon, star tears—but gave up after losing her place.
  31. emboss
    raise in a relief
    Desks were piled high with embossed session manuals, A Beginner’s Guide to Spice Elixirs from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal by Riddhi Parekh; a golden scale; sets of porcelain spoons; and metal tins.
  32. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    Masterji Thakur led them through the various rooms: elaborate kitchen laboratories where trainees brewed elixirs; an apothecary that would rival Gran's conjure pharmacy with all its bottles; the equipment counter to borrow tools and vessels needed to mix powerful ingredients; a gigantic wiggling nose and flicking tongue ready to sniff and taste your creations for accuracy; and curing rooms for elixir aging.
  33. apothecary
    a retail shop where medicine and other articles are sold
    Masterji Thakur led them through the various rooms: elaborate kitchen laboratories where trainees brewed elixirs; an apothecary that would rival Gran's conjure pharmacy with all its bottles; the equipment counter to borrow tools and vessels needed to mix powerful ingredients; a gigantic wiggling nose and flicking tongue ready to sniff and taste your creations for accuracy; and curing rooms for elixir aging.
  34. copious
    large in number or quantity
    Ella took copious notes, her new stylus feeling like it moved too slowly to keep up.
  35. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    Those with Taste marvels center on how food, tonics, poisons, elixirs, spices, and the like can be used to channel the light.
  36. rapturous
    feeling great delight
    Maybe one of you in this room might have a confectionary marvel, creating the greatest candy our world has ever seen. Or another might have a healing marvel, mastering the use of spice incants to soothe ailments, or invent rapturous perfume—yes, yes, the nose and the tongue work together.
  37. lexicon
    a language user's knowledge of words
    When Marvellers came together, each community added incants to our global lexicon. Everyone repeat after me.
  38. amble
    walk leisurely
    They ambled off and down the platform stairs.
  39. skepticism
    doubt about the truth of something
    “They're suspicious of new people.”
    “They're animals,” Brigit replied.
    Ella thought of Gumbo and Paon and Greno, her family's conjure companions, and how they, too, usually held skepticism.
  40. baron
    a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
    His Excellency Baron Durand, the Grand Walker, is back in the office.
Created on Mon Nov 06 09:05:20 EST 2023 (updated Tue Nov 07 10:06:15 EST 2023)

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