The Teacher of Nomad Land: Chapters 13–19

by Daniel Nayeri
In this historical fiction novel, a boy and his sister trek across Iran during the Allied invasion of WWII.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–12, Chapters 13–19, Chapters 20–28
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. escarpment
    a long steep slope at the edge of a plateau or ridge
    They are standing on a little escarpment no more than five meters high.
  2. derrick
    a framework erected over an oil well for drilling
    In the field, giant oil derricks are pumping oil out of the earth.
  3. persecute
    cause to suffer
    Or if Baba thought the man was humorless, he might say, if a Jew is persecuted for this star, wouldn’t it be a good strategy for everyone to wear one?
  4. tepid
    moderately warm
    Babak sighs with relief, even before he drinks the tepid water, because it worked.
  5. tousle
    disarrange or rumple; dishevel
    Callum turns and tousles Sana’s hair.
  6. convey
    serve as a means for expressing something
    He smiles to convey more than just the rude command.
  7. disposal
    the power to use something or someone
    He smiles to add something like “For your own protection, you might consider getting out of here,” which is too complicated for the few words he has at his disposal.
  8. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    After a long evening of hiking, when they’re sore and their tongues loll in their mouths desperate with thirst, as the sun gutters behind a hill, they finally spot a spring-fed channel of cold, clear water down in a narrow valley.
  9. willpower
    the trait of firmly controlling your own behavior
    It takes every ounce of willpower for Sana not to look.
  10. cower
    crouch or curl up
    The boy’s hands are covering his ears. He’s cowering back.
  11. mother tongue
    one's native language
    He has some Farsi, but it’s not his mother tongue.
  12. accustomed
    in the habit of or adapted to
    At first it sounds foreign and choppy, but soon they become accustomed to it, and can understand him just fine.
  13. dissatisfaction
    the feeling of being displeased and discontent
    He shuts his eyes and makes a shrieking sound of frustration through clenched teeth. A sound of rabid dissatisfaction.
  14. surname
    the name used to identify the members of a family
    He’s hiding things. He won’t say his surname.
  15. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    “It’s time to move on. You’ve gotten an apology. We’d like to make amends.”
Created on Fri Nov 06 03:05:16 EST 2026 (updated Mon Nov 09 12:47:57 EST 2026)

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