The Wright Brothers: Chapter 2

by Quentin Reynolds
Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the world's first flying machine on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, NC. But before the glider came a sled, bicycles, and invaluable lessons and support from their mother.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapter 2, Chapter 11, Chapter 15
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. outline
    a schematic or preliminary plan
    The outline of a sled began to appear on the paper.
  2. resistance
    any mechanical force that tends to slow or oppose motion
    “Well, Ed’s sled is at least a foot high. Our sled will be lower—closer to the ground. It won’t meet so much wind resistance.”
  3. expression
    a word or phrase that people use in particular situations
    It was the first time Wilbur had ever heard the expression.
  4. blankly
    without expression
    “Wind resistance?” It was the first time Wilbur had ever heard the expression. He looked blankly at his mother.
  5. lessen
    decrease in size, extent, or range
    You were closer to the ground and you were able to lessen the wind resistance.
  6. algebra
    the mathematics of generalized arithmetical operations
    And when she went to college, algebra and geometry were her best subjects.
  7. geometry
    the mathematics of points and lines and curves and surfaces
    And when she went to college, algebra and geometry were her best subjects.
  8. shrewdly
    in a wise or thoughtful manner
    “You made it narrow,” Wilbur said shrewdly, “to make it faster. The narrower it is, the less wind resistance.”
  9. exact
    characterized by perfect conformity to fact or truth
    “Now let’s put down the exact length of the runners and the exact width of the sled.”
  10. plank
    a wooden board used for building or making a structure
    “There are plenty of planks out in the barn. Find the very lightest ones. Don’t use planks with knots in them. You saw the planks to the right size, Will—don’t let Orville touch the saw.”
  11. protest
    utter words of objection
    “But that’s only a paper sled,” Orville protested.
  12. gleaming
    bright with a steady but subdued shining
    Wilbur always chopped the wood for the stove when his father was away, but he had never been allowed to use the gleaming tools that lay in his father’s tool chest.
  13. skim
    move or pass swiftly and lightly over the surface of
    The new sled skimmed along, the runners singing happily.
  14. abruptly
    quickly and without warning
    Usually when the sleds reached the bottom of the hill they slowed down abruptly and stopped.
  15. momentum
    an impelling force or strength
    But not this sled. It kept on; its momentum carried it on and on a hundred yards farther than any of the other sleds had ever reached.
Created on Thu Mar 26 20:21:39 EDT 2026 (updated Fri Mar 27 18:50:02 EDT 2026)

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