Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," Chapters 1-9

Kathleen D.
35 words 58 learners

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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!

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. calamitous
    having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences
    Our parents had decided to put an end to their calamitous marriage.
  2. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
  3. affluent
    having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
  4. affluence
    abundant wealth
  5. ply
    keep offering or supplying something desirable to someone
    This word also means to "apply diligently," such as "to ply one's trade." That means to work hard at something one has been trained to do. This program will use that definition in almost all of the quizzing.
  6. winding-sheet
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
  7. staggering
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
  8. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
  9. inordinate
    beyond normal limits
    She showed inordinate rage at stereotypes.
  10. renege
    fail to fulfill a promise or obligation
    The North reneged on its promise to help Negroes in the 1930s.
  11. thwart
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    England thwarted the German attack.
  12. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    Even though her life was ruined, she felt no rancor.
  13. repel
    fill with distaste
    Others were repelled by the scars on his face.
  14. aisle
    a passageway between areas of an auditorium, store, etc.
  15. slosh
    walk noisily through water, mud, or mire
  16. concoction
    an occurrence of an unusual mixture
  17. heinous
    extremely wicked or deeply criminal
  18. threaten
    utter intentions of injury or punishment against
  19. whir
    the sound of something in rapid motion
  20. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
  21. impudent
    improperly forward or bold
  22. switch
    a flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment
    Angelou writes that her grandmother used a "switch." That would be a stick or a small branch from a flexible tree/bush that could be used to smack someone for punishment. This program will test on the word "switch" as in "to change places." Sorry. There is nothing I can do about that.
  23. poor
    having little money or few possessions
    The word Angelou uses is "powhitetrash." This is a shortened version of "poor white trash." "White trash" is a slang term that references poverty-stricken whites. They are often stereotyped as having little education, being ignorant, and being racist.
  24. servile
    submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior
  25. filch
    make off with belongings of others
    "To filch" means "to steal." "The boy filched an apple when the store manager wasn't looking." This program uses a slang term for stealing, "to hook" in the program. I don't think the word "hook" is used much any more to mean "to steal," but you should know that the program will use that word a lot in connection with "to filch."
  26. outhouse
    a small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate
    This is the toilet in a small shed behind a house that people used before indoor plumbing became the norm.
  27. preside
    act as executive officer
  28. lavishly
    in a rich and lavish manner
  29. abrupt
    exceedingly sudden and unexpected
  30. cripple
    deprive of the use of a limb, especially a leg
  31. parcel of land
    an extended area of land
  32. clasp
    hold firmly and tightly
  33. reservoir
    lake used to store water for community use
  34. graze
    feed as in a meadow or pasture
  35. indistinguishable
    exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different
Created on Sun Jul 01 13:43:13 EDT 2012 (updated Sat Jul 28 13:34:14 EDT 2012)

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