VOCABULARY LISTS : LITERATURE

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" -- Chapters 1-3

October 21, 2012 By Vocabulary.com (NY) Vocabulary.com Moderator
A masterpiece of wit and wordplay, Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is also a celebration of the joys of nonsense.

While you are reading Lewis Carroll’s fantastic novel (etext found here), learn these word lists: Ch’s 1-3, Ch’s 4-6, Ch’s 7-9, and Ch’s 10-12.
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Activities for this list:

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27 Words Activities Assignments
definitions & notes only words
  1. tired
    depleted of strength or energy
    Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do.
  2. label
    designate with an identification
    She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled "ORANGE MARMALADE," but to her great disappointment it was empty.
  3. latitude
    an imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator
    I wonder what Latitude and Longitude I've got to ?"
  4. fancy
    imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind
    Fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air!
  5. passage
    a way through which someone or something may go
    Bbefore her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it.
  6. telescope
    a magnifier of images of distant objects
    Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope!
    Note also the "make shorter" definition -- that meaning actually partially comes from this book!
  7. marked
    having or as if having a distinguishing symbol
    "No, I'll look first," she said, "and see whether it's marked `poison' or not".
  8. pretend
    represent fictitiously, as in a play, or act like
    Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.
  9. curious
    beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
    " Curiouser and curiouser!" cried Alice, "now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was!"
    Note that 'curiouser' is not, in fact a word -- it should be 'more curious'
  10. surprise
    cause to be shocked
    She was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English.
  11. manage
    carry on or function
    I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can.
  12. shrink
    reduce in size; reduce physically
    She got up and went to the table to measure herself by it, and found that, as nearly as she could guess, she was now about two feet high, and was going on shrinking rapidly.
  13. pardon
    the act of excusing a mistake or offense
    "Oh, I beg your pardon!" cried Alice hastily, afraid that she had hurt the poor animal's feelings.
  14. tone
    a quality that reveals the attitudes of the author
    "Well, perhaps not," said Alice in a soothing tone: "don't be angry about it."
    Note that it doesn't have to be written -- your tone can be how you say things, as well
  15. offend
    cause to feel resentment or indignation
    "I beg your pardon!" cried Alice again, for this time the Mouse was bristling all over, and she felt certain it must be really offended.
  16. commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    For the Mouse was swimming away from her as hard as it could go, and making quite a commotion in the pool as it went.
  17. consultation
    a meeting to discuss a particular question or topic
    They had a consultation about this, and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with them, as if she had known them all her life.
  18. insolence
    the trait of being rude and impertinent
    But the insolence of his Normans -- -' How are you getting on now, my dear?"
    Note that the Mouse is spouting off text from an actual textbook from the 1800s -- be glad your history textbooks aren't as dry!
  19. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    "As wet as ever," said Alice in a melancholy tone: "it doesn't seem to dry me at all."
  20. adjourn
    break from a meeting or gathering
    "In that case," said the Dodo solemnly, rising to its feet, "I move that the meeting adjourn, for the immediate adoption of more energetic remedies "
  21. titter
    laugh nervously
    And the Eaglet bent down its head to hide a smile: some of the other birds tittered audibly.
  22. crowd
    fill or occupy to the point of overflowing
    However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out "The race is over!" and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, "But who has won?"
  23. confused
    lacking orderly continuity
    "Why, she, of course," said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way, "Prizes!
  24. denial
    the act of refusing to comply, as with a request
    Come, I'll take no denial; We must have a trial: For really this morning I've nothing to do'.
  25. pretext
    an artful or simulated semblance
    On various pretexts they all moved off, and Alice was soon left alone.
  26. exact
    marked by strict and complete accordance with fact
    First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle ("the exact shape doesn't matter," it said), and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there.
  27. opportunity
    a possibility from a favorable combination of circumstances
    An old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her daughter, "Ah, my dear! Let this be a lesson to you never to lose your temper!"

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