The House of the Scorpion: Chapters 1–5

by Nancy Farmer
This award-winning dystopian novel tells the story of Matt Alacrán, clone and captive of a powerful feudal lord. Follow Matt as he tries to escape the sinister forces at work in the country of Opium.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–14, Chapters 15–22, Chapters 23–30, Chapters 31–38
15 words 2745 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. intact
    lacking nothing essential, not damaged
    “Don’t fix that one,” said Lisa, hastily catching his arm. “It’s a Matteo Alacrán. They’re always left intact.”
  2. desolation
    sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned
    He could talk and talk and talk, but the people couldn’t hear him.
    Matt was swept with such an intense feeling of desolation, he thought he would die.
  3. voluminous
    large in capacity or bulk
    She came out in her voluminous pink bathrobe and nodded sleepily at the tidied table.
  4. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    Matt stared at the scene with consternation. That wasn’t the result he wanted at all.
  5. appalled
    struck with dread, shock, or dismay
    Matt was appalled. If the big kids went away, María would be all alone.
  6. rivulet
    a small stream
    His knees sprouted rivulets of red.
  7. patter
    a quick succession of light rapid sounds
    Presently, Matt heard the patter of smaller feet.
  8. defile
    make dirty or spotty
    “You idiot! You need a vet for this little beast!” the man roared. “How dare you defile this house?”
  9. subside
    wear off or die down
    The terrifying pain had subsided to a dull ache.
  10. technician
    someone who is trained in a specific process
    Technicians are supposed to destroy the minds at birth—it’s the law.
  11. warren
    a complex system of paths or tunnels
    She carted Matt to a different part of the house, a warren of dim hallways that smelled of mold.
  12. sodden
    wet through and through; thoroughly wet
    “So you aren’t housebroken, you little brute,” she snarled, kicking aside the sodden newspapers.
  13. calculating
    good at tricking people to get something
    Then an idea seemed to occur to her. She halted in mid-rant and looked at Matt in such a calculating way, he felt cold right down to his toes. What was she planning now?
  14. gristle
    tough elastic tissue found in meat
    The gristle was particularly valuable. You could stretch it, bend it, hold it up to the light, and even suck on it if it wasn’t too old. The bones were his dolls.
  15. contemplate
    look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
    He fished up the dove feather and contemplated its silky colors. The feather usually made him feel safe, but now it made him uneasy.
Created on Wed Jun 28 08:00:09 EDT 2017 (updated Mon Aug 04 10:10:13 EDT 2025)

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.