Eagle Drums: Chapters 14–20

by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson
While walking toward the mountains to gather obsidian, young Piŋa is chosen by the eagles to learn their ways of telling stories through music and dance so that he could unite the Iñupiaq people of the Arctic tundra.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–20, Chapters 21–25
40 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. crest
    reach a high point
    When he was around ten years old, while walking to their wintering grounds, Piŋa and his family crested a hill and were startled to find another family on the other side of it, huddled around a small fire shielded from the wind.
  2. clad
    having an outer covering especially of thin metal
    He struggled to keep a good grip, so at first he didn’t see the fur- clad feet at the top of the ladder.
  3. tussock
    a bunch of hair, feathers, or growing grass
    His brother reached over and plucked a few tundra-grass stalks expertly from a nearby tussock so that the tender pink base of the plants was intact.
  4. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Yeah, I made it to those people. I thought maybe they would be wary of me at first, but then they would be happy I brought them food, you know?
  5. limber
    capable of moving or bending freely
    Piŋa danced every day. His body grew limber, and his muscles became strong again over the next two moons.
  6. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to unusual activity or creativity
    He worked through some songs that he had created earlier and molded dance movements to them. He took inspiration from his family. One was a walrus hunting song based on his father’s stories.
  7. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Savik’s brow furrowed as the silence stretched on.
  8. indifference
    the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care
    But he changed his mind as he felt the open hostility radiate from Alik and the indifference from Pula.
  9. dispel
    force to go away
    His mother’s face popped into his mind; her gentle, patient smile warmed his heart, dispelling some of the nervousness.
  10. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
    Pula had a small smile on her face, and Alik looked at least a little less hostile.
  11. feeble
    pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
    Piŋa and the Eagle Mother were alone this morning, and she had been ignoring him and his feeble attempts at conversation.
  12. gibberish
    unintelligible talking
    It all sounded like gibberish to Piŋa. He could understand the words, but when Savik put them together, they suddenly became a puzzle he could not solve.
  13. disperse
    distribute loosely
    When Savik started talking about the force, or something pushing down, and how it needed to be dispersed, he might as well have been chittering to the boy in his eagle form.
  14. murky
    not clearly known, understood, or expressed
    Anxiety had swirled around his mind all night, slow and murky, and it had refused to let him sleep very long.
  15. sliver
    a thin fragment or slice that has been shaved from something
    While he waited, he dug out some more ippiq greens from his pouch and layered them with slivers of dried fish from another pouch.
  16. allocation
    the act of distributing or apportioning according to a plan
    The key to building any structure is the allocation of weight. Sod is heavy, and it becomes heavier with moisture and snow. The weight pushes down and out. That pressure has to be met with equal amounts of weight along the sides and walls, as well as an adequate arch of bone across the top.
  17. spindly
    long, thin, and often weak or fragile
    It just looked like a pile of dirt held up by some spindly sticks and fake little whale bones.
  18. adequate
    having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
    He had never thought of himself as someone capable of failure. He could run for long distances, walk even longer, and was better than his brothers and father at hitting a target with any type of weapon. His trapping skills were more than adequate, and he could create and care for tools, even in his sleep.
  19. knack
    a special way of doing something
    He wondered if his parents understood that he didn’t really have the knack for that type of work and just never pushed him.
  20. sheer
    complete and without restriction
    The sheer number of lemmings would ensure that at least some of them would survive if they ran into a predator.
  21. entranced
    filled with wonder and delight
    He sat still and watched, entranced by the display.
  22. unrelenting
    harsh
    Late summer was in full swing, and the sun beat down at them with a dry, unrelenting heat magnified by the thin air.
  23. verdant
    characterized by abundance of vegetation and green foliage
    When they finally dropped into the small valley, he was relieved to find it somewhat cooler, the verdant plants and trickling creeks creating a pool of moisture in the air.
  24. forgo
    do without or cease to hold or adhere to
    Even Savik seemed to relax a little once they arrived, forgoing the growls and scowls that were his usual self.
  25. behemoth
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
    The boy was immediately intimidated by the size. He imagined it was going to take him a long time to build this behemoth of a structure, even with Savik’s help.
  26. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    Tears wet his eyes as he thought about seeing his parents again. He tried not to think of them too much because it always left him weary and heartsore; instead he focused on the task he was given.
  27. scraggly
    lacking neatness or order
    Without even waiting to see his response, Piŋa dragged his body to a shaded area under some scraggly willow brush.
  28. grimy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    He frowned at Savik’s question and scratched at the drying sweat and dirt in his hair with grimy fingernails.
  29. subdued
    softened in tone
    When Eagle Mother finally spoke, her voice was subdued.
  30. stout
    fairly large
    As they walked to the center of the hall, he could see a large, stout object hanging from the ceiling by a length of thick rope.
  31. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    The rope that held the box was attached at the top so that it hung like an elaborate pillar.
  32. adze
    an edge tool used to cut and shape wood
    He took care to shave them carefully with a sharp adze to match the thickness and size of the original drum.
  33. elation
    a feeling of joy and pride
    The boy hurried after the eagle, a cautious elation coursing through his body.
  34. impede
    be a hindrance or obstacle to
    He was amazed to find that his weight did not impede Savik’s movement at all as he walked to the edge of the precipice.
  35. precipice
    a very steep cliff
    He was amazed to find that his weight did not impede Savik’s movement at all as he walked to the edge of the precipice.
  36. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    His stomach lurched, and he was suddenly glad that he had not eaten that morning.
  37. vertigo
    a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall
    He got the courage to open his eyes once and was met with such a sudden wave of vertigo that it made him afraid to open them again.
  38. exertion
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
    Piŋa lay there gathering himself, transfixed at the eagle, who was panting with the exertion from the flight.
  39. preen
    clean with one's bill
    Savik’s great golden feathers were ruffled, and he preened and smoothed them with his beak.
  40. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
    The eagle impassively watched the boy, first with one eye, then with the other.
Created on Wed Apr 17 14:45:32 EDT 2024 (updated Thu Apr 18 16:10:18 EDT 2024)

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