The House No One Sees: List 1

by Adina King
This novel, told in both poetry and prose and alternating between the past and the present, follows teenager Penelope Ross as she confronts childhood memories of her past with her neglectful, struggling mother.

This list covers vocabulary from "Shadow"–"Cat."

Here are links to our lists for the book:

List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4.
15 words 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. permeate
    pass through
    There’s also a fine grit that has somehow permeated the membrane of my sneakers.
  2. yeti
    a large hairy creature said to live in the Himalayas
    They are fluffy and enormous, like a cat had an affair with a yeti.
  3. calico
    having patches colored differently and usually brightly
    I spot a calico cat that’s fuzzier than the others.
  4. kaleidoscope
    a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes
    Its lifeless eyes mirror a kaleidoscope of color, but what happens when it’s not hanging here?
  5. centaur
    a mythical being that is half man and half horse
    Alison becomes part human, part— “Kittytaur,” I say.
    “Come again?” she says.
    “Like a centaur, but instead of a human top, you’re all—”
    “Cat,” Valerie says, popping a final cloud into her mouth.
  6. lubricant
    a substance that makes things move more easily
    The acridity of vinegar melts into the smoky sulfur of metal lubricants.
  7. atrophy
    undergo weakening or degeneration as through lack of use
    My muscles atrophy.
  8. counselor
    someone who gives advice about problems
    Suddenly, my legs feel like that stress putty the guidance counselor used to hand out.
  9. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    Adrenaline rushes, safe under my skin.
  10. treacherous
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    The chasm between help and hope is too wide, the bridge made of love too treacherous, the path made of memories too twisted.
  11. dormer
    a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof
    The house has no dormers, and I find this sad.
  12. therapist
    a person skilled in a particular type of care
    I try the breathing thing my therapist showed me.
  13. addiction
    being dependent on something habit-forming
    Addiction can eat more than just the sky.
  14. labyrinth
    complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
    Mary says my memories are a maze I need to get through, but all I see is a labyrinth with too many corners.
  15. predictability
    the capacity to be known or expected in advance
    I miss your predictability.
Created on Wed Mar 04 08:31:23 EST 2026 (updated Tue Apr 07 13:20:29 EDT 2026)

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