The Titan's Curse: Chapters 17–20

by Rick Riordan
Percy and his demigod friends embark on a quest to find the missing goddess Artemis in the third book of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–12, Chapters 13–16, Chapters 17–20

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. regal
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoe, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoe sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil.
  2. humility
    a lack of arrogance or false pride
    I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility.
  3. dignity
    high office or rank or station
    An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity.
  4. coward
    a person who shows fear or timidity
    “So you’re another coward,” I said.
  5. constrain
    hold back
    Chiron had told me long ago: Immortals are constrained by ancient rules.
  6. gleefully
    in a joyous manner
    Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe’s arrows.
  7. petty
    small and of little importance
    “Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me!”
  8. threat
    declaration of an intention to inflict harm on another
    We ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as we passed.
  9. sympathy
    sharing the feelings of others, especially sorrow or anguish
    I wasn’t sure what passed between them, but Artemis’s gaze softened with sympathy.
  10. impressive
    producing a strong effect
    “She was impressive; though I must say I still prefer Athena.”
  11. deny
    declare untrue; contradict
    “These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?”
  12. worthy
    having merit or value; being honorable or admirable
    “Ares,” Poseidon interrupted, “they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits.”
  13. judgment
    the determination by a court of competent jurisdiction
    “I do not pass judgment,” Athena said. “I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide.”
  14. favor
    an act of gracious kindness
    If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans.
  15. justice
    judgment involved in the assignment of reward and punishment
    If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it.
  16. considerable
    large in number, amount, extent, or degree
    “Percy, the monster’s power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—”
  17. vouch
    give surety or assume responsibility
    “I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus.”
  18. bargain
    negotiate the terms of an exchange
    “I won’t have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession.”
  19. abstain
    refrain from voting
    To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Dionysus abstained.
  20. decree
    issue an authoritative order
    “We have a majority,” Zeus decreed. “And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes ... I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!”
  21. incantation
    a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
    Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: “Pan! Pan!”
  22. congratulate
    say something to someone that expresses praise
    Gods kept coming over to congratulate me.
  23. praise
    an expression of approval and commendation
    His praise made me uneasy.
  24. alliance
    an agreement establishing an association between groups
    I will do my best to destroy his boat with storms, but he is making alliances with my enemies, the older spirits of the ocean. They will fight to protect him.
  25. beware
    be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to
    I don’t know, Percy, but beware of him. He is more dangerous than ever.
  26. derision
    contemptuous laughter
    My father snorted in derision. "If it were so easy, he would have escaped long ago.
  27. curse
    a severe affliction
    The curse of the sky can only be forced upon a Titan, one of the children of Gaia and Ouranous.
  28. burden
    weight to be carried or borne
    Anyone else must choose to take the burden of their own free will.
  29. counsel
    something that provides direction or advice
    “Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous.”
  30. flaw
    defect or weakness in a person's character
    Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world.
  31. moderation
    the quality of avoiding extremes
    “The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation,” she said.
  32. approve
    judge to be right or commendable; think well of
    I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter.
  33. comment
    a statement that expresses a personal opinion
    I didn’t know why, but her annoying comments kept coming back to me.
  34. evaluate
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    She’s in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated.
  35. stammer
    speak haltingly
    "I... I was playing music in the parlor,” he stammered, “and drinking coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! And he spoke in my mind!”
Created on Mon Jul 11 12:21:09 EDT 2016 (updated Tue Aug 08 09:16:59 EDT 2023)

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