The Son of Neptune: Chapters 1–7

by Rick Riordan
In this second book of The Heroes of Olympus series, Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque, and Frank Zhang, recognized as the children of Roman gods at Camp Jupiter, journey to Alaska to free Thanatos, the god of death.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–15, Chapters 16–27, Chapters 28–39, Chapters 40–52

Here are links to our lists for the Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus series.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. barnacle
    marine crustacean with feathery food-catching appendages
    The whole “dying then returning from Tartarus” concept gave him a headache. Of course, so did the idea that a ballpoint pen could turn into a sword, or that monsters could disguise themselves with something called the Mist, or that Percy was the son of a barnacle-encrusted god from five thousand years ago.
  2. stocky
    having a short and solid form or stature
    The one on the left was a stocky guy with a bow and quiver on his back.
  3. median
    a dividing area between opposing lanes of travel on a road
    He'd have to cross to the median of the highway, but then it would be a short sprint.
  4. leisurely
    not hurried or forced
    The gorgons were only fifty yards away now—leisurely gliding toward him as if they knew the hunt was almost over.
  5. callous
    a skin area that is thick or hard from continual pressure
    Percy tried to ignore her sour breath and her calloused hands clinging to his neck.
  6. stout
    having rugged physical strength
    It was hard to tell much about him under the helmet, but he looked stout like a wrestler, maybe fourteen or fifteen.
  7. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized, mounted crossbows.
  8. barrack
    a building or group of buildings to house military personnel
    Inside, the fortress bustled with activity: dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armor.
  9. retain
    secure and keep for possible future use or application
    The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can’t retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away.
  10. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    His clothes and his skin steamed as if the Tiber’s waters had given him an acid bath. He felt exposed, raw... vulnerable.
  11. regal
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    She was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armor.
  12. piercing
    very perceptive
    She must have been about Percy’s age, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair. Percy didn’t recognize her, but the girl stared at him as if she’d seen him in her nightmares.
  13. stately
    refined or imposing in manner or appearance
    She grew until she was a shining, seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat’s skin over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately.
  14. warily
    in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    She examined Percy warily, and Percy couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger.
  15. praetor
    an annually elected magistrate of the ancient Roman Republic
    I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion.
  16. augury
    an event indicating important things to come
    Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries.
  17. ethereal
    characterized by lightness and insubstantiality
    Shimmering purple warriors stood outside the armory, polishing ethereal swords.
  18. entourage
    the group following and attending to some important person
    None of the campers paid the ghosts much attention, but as Percy’s entourage walked by, with Reyna in the lead and Frank and Hazel on either side, all the spirits stopped what they were doing and stared at Percy.
  19. inconspicuous
    not prominent or readily noticeable
    Percy wished he could turn invisible too. After weeks on his own, all this attention made him uneasy. He stayed between Hazel and Frank and tried to look inconspicuous.
  20. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    He’d removed his helmet, revealing a babyish face that didn’t go with his military haircut or his big burly frame.
  21. embroider
    decorate with needlework
    Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.
  22. cohort
    a band of warriors
    “Let him join the Fifth Cohort. Greeks and geeks.”
  23. poise
    great coolness and composure under strain
    She had the poise of a sword fighter—relaxed yet vigilant, as if ready to spring into action at any moment.
  24. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    He uncapped the pen. Riptide sprang to full form. Hazel gasped. The greyhounds barked apprehensively.
  25. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    “Sorry,” Hazel said. “He’s eccentric, but he’s one of the oldest Lares. Been around since the legion was founded.”
  26. haphazard
    dependent upon or characterized by chance
    Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colorful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles.
  27. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    “The will of the gods is hard to discern. And these days, my vision is even darker.”
  28. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    The boy regained his composure and held out his hand.
  29. conscience
    a feeling of shame when you do something immoral
    She didn’t need another death on her conscience.
  30. incantation
    a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
    “Percy Jackson.” He said the name like an incantation.
  31. veneer
    an outward appearance that is deliberately misleading
    The school was called St. Agnes Academy for Colored Children and Indians, a name that hadn’t changed in a hundred years. Just like its name, the place masked a whole lot of cruelty under a thin veneer of kindness.
  32. saffron
    a shade of yellow tinged with orange
    She wasn’t wearing the fancy saffron robes or gold bangles she wore to impress clients—just a simple white dress.
  33. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    Still, she had a regal air, sitting straight and dignified in her gilded chair as if she really were a queen.
  34. melancholy
    grave or even gloomy in character
    “Hazel Levesque,” he said in a melancholy voice. “You’ve grown.”
  35. centurion
    leader of soldiers in ancient Rome
    She was missing most of her equipment, but she hurried to her place in line next to Frank and stood at attention. Their lead centurion, a big seventeen-year-old guy named Dakota, was just calling her name—the last one on the roll.
  36. emblem
    special design representing a quality, type, or group
    The standard-bearers stepped forward. They wore lion-skin capes and held poles decorated with each cohort’s emblems.
  37. incursion
    an attack that penetrates into enemy territory
    You’ve probably heard about the incursion today. Two gorgons were swept into the river by this newcomer, Percy Jackson.
  38. entrails
    internal organs collectively
    “I have read the entrails!” Octavian announced, as if he’d killed a lion with his bare hands rather than ripping up a stuffed panda pillow.
  39. credentials
    a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
    “Recruit,” he asked, “do you have credentials? Letters of reference?”
  40. valor
    courage when facing danger
    She’d only gotten her stripe a few weeks ago, and the “act of valor” that earned it for her had been mostly an accident.
Created on Mon Jun 06 19:22:34 EDT 2016 (updated Sun Aug 27 07:54:46 EDT 2023)

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