Daughters of the Lamp: Part Three

by Nedda Lewers
This first book of the series introduces twelve-year-old budding scientist Sahara Rashad from 1980s New York and thirteen-year-old servant Morgana Salem from 980s Baghdad, who are connected by their family's mission to protect an underground Egyptian chamber that contains magical treasures.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Parts Four–Five
40 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. divination
    the art or gift of prophecy by supernatural means
    My cousin and I suspect someone of doing terrible things. We’re hoping you could use your divination to tell us if we’re right.
  2. vanquish
    defeat in a competition, race, or conflict
    “Unfortunately, I cannot vanquish dark magic once it has been cast.”
  3. credence
    the mental attitude that something is believable
    Sahara hated giving credence to the seer’s ancient-sounding gibberish, but Sittu and Khaltu had made a point of concealing their worry after the attempted break-in.
  4. fuchsia
    a dark purplish-red color
    “I bought the same one in different colors for all of us. Naima’s is fuchsia, and Sittu’s is turquoise.”
  5. armoire
    a large wardrobe or cabinet
    She pulled out an album from the armoire and brought it over.
  6. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
    “I rather prefer wildness to perfection these days, if you know what I mean, darling.” She imitated El Ghoula’s pretentious air.
  7. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    Naima and Khaltu beamed at her as Sittu relished the moment.
  8. bolster
    support and strengthen
    Sahara smiled, her confidence bolstering with each movement.
  9. striking
    sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
    She was both the most striking and grotesque woman Sahara had ever seen.
  10. stickler
    someone who insists on something
    “We should keep it the same. You know, tradition and all.” They’d thought of everything.
    “Yes, absolutely,” Sittu agreed, but that was no surprise—she was a stickler for tradition.
  11. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Sittu jerked her hand away from Fayrouz and glowered at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
    “Mention my daughter Amani in front of me again, and you’ll see what a monster I can be.”
  12. relinquish
    part with a possession or right
    As much as the prospect of relinquishing the healing apple pained Morgana, she would have to let it go.
  13. snivel
    talk in a tearful manner
    “What are you doing back so soon?” she sniveled, eyeing the wet trail her tears had made on his shirt.
  14. minaret
    a slender tower with balconies, especially on a mosque
    He paused, then pointed to the tall minarets in the distance. “One of the things I love most about being here—the call to prayer echoes throughout the day, as it has done for centuries, and everyone stops what they’re doing.”
  15. ensuing
    following immediately and as a result of what went before
    As she braced herself to dive into the middle of the teen boys’ fists, Mustafa bent down and pressed play on a massive state-of-the-art boom box—quadruple the size of her cousin’s. The ensuing explosion of music shook the street.
  16. turbulent
    agitated vigorously
    Though his passionate but turbulent delivery paled in comparison to his adversary’s poised performance, Fanta did have one critical advantage.
  17. flunky
    an underling of unquestioning obedience
    Out of the corner of her eye, Sahara spotted an indignant Mustafa ducking into the barbershop, his squad of flunkies trailing behind him.
  18. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    Kitmeer sat tall on his hind legs like a sentinel at the entrance to Umm Zalabya’s building while the children retrieved the garlands.
  19. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    Wings fluttered above her in the canopy, gleaming in the dappled light.
  20. contour
    any spatial attributes, especially as defined by outline
    Her words sang with the high pitch of a child, though the contours of her face were those of a lady.
  21. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    It wasn’t until she stepped out, oddly dry, that Morgana could make out a body, a woman’s lithe body, adorned in fabric gleaming like the inside of an oyster.
  22. garb
    provide with clothes or put clothes on
    The sound of pounding hooves swelled as she made out the nearing shape of a woman on horseback—garbed in linen and leather like a Bedouin warrior.
  23. modest
    following standards of propriety in conduct or appearance
    “Did you know that when Amitu visited the Vatican a few summers ago, she had to cover her shoulders and make sure her skirt went past her knees? Wearing modest clothing in a religious institution isn’t unique to Islam,” he explained as he arranged the silk tarha over her arms and the sides of her navy-and-white dress.
  24. don
    put on clothes
    The imam sat between them, dressed in a long white robe and donning a domed cap Sahara thought was called a taqiyah.
  25. fathom
    come to understand
    She couldn’t fathom how the maid could be looking at her now with anything short of contempt.
  26. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Speaking of disdain, Sahara glared at the white patent leather shoes squeezing the life out of her feet.
  27. insolent
    marked by casual disrespect
    “Omar, please. Are you going to let her interrupt our wedding?” Magda turned to the imam and bowed her head. “Please forgive the insolent child.”
  28. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Unlocking what has been hidden in the dark. The ominous words twisted into a knot in Sahara’s stomach.
  29. apprehend
    take into police custody
    “So you’re not here to apprehend me on the emir’s behalf?”
  30. assert
    state categorically
    “Mama, after their outburst at the ceremony, I’m not sure they’re ready for such a big responsibility,” Khaltu Layla asserted.
  31. impulsive
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
    Guarding the treasures may be too much for them when they’re still young and impulsive.
  32. mezzanine
    intermediate floor just above the ground floor
    Sahara huffed, following him to the foot of the marble staircase leading down from the mezzanine.
  33. clad
    wearing or provided with clothing
    She lurched her head up to the mezzanine, where a band of percussionists, clad in matching gold vests, pounded their goblet-shaped drums and tambourines.
  34. ecstasy
    a state of elated bliss
    “This is awesome!” she yelled to her father over the drumming.
    “Zaffas always are.”
    Naima tapped her shoulder, jolting Sahara out of her ecstasy.
  35. obscure
    not clearly understood or expressed
    The last thing they needed was another one of Magda’s obscure threats. I see you—what did that even mean?
  36. doting
    extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent
    The entire ballroom froze as Khalu and El Ghoula lifted their glasses to each other’s lips and stared dreamily into each other’s eyes. Magda deserved an Oscar for her part as the doting bride.
  37. trill
    a note that alternates with another note a semitone above it
    Many women, including Sittu, placed their fingers over their mouths and produced a high-pitched trill.
  38. sappy
    very sentimental or emotional
    The wedding reception continued deep into the night with the band playing another sappy love song—after the tenth one, they all began to sound the same.
  39. covert
    secret or hidden
    “Naima!” Sahara yelled way louder than she should’ve on a covert mission.
  40. lapse
    drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards
    She blasted herself for not taking the time to look for one before leaping after Naima. She’d let her judgment lapse.
Created on Thu Aug 22 16:44:56 EDT 2024 (updated Fri Aug 23 15:33:48 EDT 2024)

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