Outfoxed: Chapters 1–4

by Elise McMullen-Ciotti
Working as a park youth ranger, 12-year-old Skye rescues an injured baby fox and meets a new friend, Ivy. The two team up to solve the mystery of the poacher who trapped baby Kitkat.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–12, Chapters 13–26, Chapters 27–33, Chapters 34–41
15 words 12 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    My chest swelled with compassion for him.
  2. caress
    a gentle affectionate stroking
    “Hi, Dr. Reed,” I said, then turned back to the fox, giving him one last caress before shutting the cage door.
  3. poacher
    someone who hunts or fishes illegally
    “No one’s called yet to confirm, but traps like these in a state park…Well, I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s a poacher.”
  4. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    As the water flowed into the bottle, my cheeriness dwindled again.
  5. undergrowth
    the brush beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
    I’ve been mapping what grows beneath the Grandmother Tree for the past two summers, taking clippings of the undergrowth, pressing them, mounting them, and adding notes about them to my plant journal.
  6. gazebo
    a small roofed building affording shade and rest
    Calling it a town square was a leap, since it was really a town triangle with an octagonal gazebo in its grassy, tree-popping center.
  7. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    "Perfect. I’m leading a group of volunteers to remove broken branches in the park pathways and clean up trash and debris from the storm."
  8. pelt
    the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
    “Some are saying it has to be someone from out of town. That it can’t be one of us. Oh yeah, and that pelts were selling for a good price online.”
  9. botanist
    a biologist specializing in the study of plants
    “That’s my botanist,” Braeden said, giving me a high five.
  10. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    “And what’s the mantra we always say?”
    “Walkies always charged. Walkies always open.”
  11. careen
    move at high speed and in an uncontrolled way
    “It sure is!” I said, standing up on the stool’s footrest and careening to the right so I could see him through the pass.
  12. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
    “Wake up, dork.” Leo laughed, sliding onto the seat next to mine.
    “Stop it! You’re so obnoxious.”
    “And you’re a dork.”
  13. din
    the act of making a noisy outburst
    I was surprised I yelled that last fact. The din of the diner grew quiet. I looked around. Everyone eyed me for a second and then went back to their business.
  14. exotic
    characteristic of another place or part of the world
    I hated it when people asked me if I was Native American, and then I had to watch them act like it was so cool, like I came from some exotic kingdom in the mist.
  15. contribute
    give, provide, or supply something
    “Excellent! It will be good to contribute to the community.”
Created on Sun May 24 17:03:36 EDT 2026 (updated Mon Jul 13 17:00:15 EDT 2026)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.