Dumplin': Chapters 12-26

by Julie Murphy
In this hilarious and heartwarming novel, small-town girl Willowdean surprises everyone—including herself—when she enters a local pageant.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-11, Chapters 12-26, Chapters 27-39, Chapters 40-49, Chapters 50-61
40 words 22 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ajar
    slightly open
    It’s the moment right before I grab the bag of trash piled on top of the crates in the back and kick the already ajar back door open.
  2. slump
    fall or sink heavily
    “It’s early,” I mutter, slumping into a chair.
  3. involuntarily
    against your will
    I unlock the car doors and slide in behind the wheel, both our lips whistling involuntarily as we’re saturated with stale heat.
  4. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
    ...all the girls who work here are vapid skanks who treat me like El’s charity case friend.
  5. jut
    extend out or project in space
    The walls of Sweet 16 are covered with mirrors and mannequins with jutting hipbones, low slung jeans, and tiny T-shirts that say things like, I'm too pretty to do homework.
  6. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    She reaches into a box below the register and hands El a pristine white envelope.
  7. slack
    not tense or taut
    My face falls slack. I’ve been dreading the moment when our worlds collide.
  8. mantel
    a shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace
    My mom has moved her crown, which sits in a glass case, from the center of the mantel to make room for Lucy’s urn.
  9. retort
    answer back
    “I want her to be healthy,” my mom would retort.
  10. deterrent
    something immaterial that interferes with action or progress
    I think my existence is deterrent enough.
  11. outlook
    belief about the future
    Plopping down on my bed, I hold the Magic 8 Ball he gave me in both hands. I have too many questions to ask only one, but I shake the ball three times and check for an answer. Outlook not so good.
  12. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    I can feel the change between us, thick and palpable, but Marcus and Ron treat us no differently, because, to them, nothing visible is out of place.
  13. nuzzle
    gently rub or push one's nose or face against something
    He nuzzles the nape of my neck.
  14. nape
    the back side of the neck
    He nuzzles the nape of my neck.
  15. octave
    a musical interval of eight tones
    His voice drops an octave.
  16. concession
    the act of yielding
    He’s quiet for a minute, and I take his silence as a concession.
  17. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    I take a step back now, loosening the line between us that’s held us taut all summer.
  18. riveting
    capable of arousing and holding the attention
    With my eyes on Mr. Krispin, I nod, like I can’t bear to be torn away from his riveting roll call.
  19. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
    He veers off toward the locker rooms outside of the stadium.
  20. endearing
    lovable especially in a childlike or naive way
    It’s kind of endearing, and also sort of like false advertising.
  21. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    He presses his lips together as his thick brows furrow.
  22. incarnation
    a new personification of a familiar idea
    Sprawled out on the table in front of us are snapshots of Mrs. Dryver dressed as all different incarnations of Dolly Parton.
  23. musty
    stale and unclean smelling
    I whirl around, the musty records pressed against my chest.
  24. chiffon
    a sheer fabric of silk or rayon
    El makes me try on everything from my eighth-grade graduation dress to this formless, chiffon floral tunic my mom bought me last Christmas.
  25. tunic
    loose fitting cloak or blouse extending to the hips or knees
    El makes me try on everything from my eighth-grade graduation dress to this formless, chiffon floral tunic my mom bought me last Christmas.
  26. maroon
    a dark purplish-red to dark brownish-red color
    He drives an old maroon Suburban that probably hasn’t passed inspection for the last five years.
  27. embed
    fix or set securely or deeply
    The front seat of Mitch’s car is clean-ish with dust and lint deeply embedded in every crevice.
  28. crevice
    a long narrow opening
    The front seat of Mitch’s car is clean-ish with dust and lint deeply embedded in every crevice.
  29. iridescent
    varying in color when seen in different lights
    The hostess seats us at an iridescent booth that looks like one of those giant clamshells from The Little Mermaid that Ariel and her sisters hang out in.
  30. choreograph
    compose a sequence of dance steps, often to music
    “It’s that we can’t really choreograph the dance routine before registration.”
  31. aromatic
    having a strong pleasant odor
    I let the combined aromatic scent of metal and sweat shock my senses as I walk through the hallways and to the nearest bathroom.
  32. primal
    having existed from the beginning
    But then my body took over and this primal defense mechanism, said, No, we will not stand for this.
  33. livid
    furiously angry
    My mother is livid. And mortified. And many other things.
  34. flail
    thrash about
    My arms flail wildly.
  35. idolize
    love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess
    “This has nothing to do with Luce, all right? She’s gone and it’s no thanks to the way she lived her life. I wish you wouldn’t idolize her so much.”
  36. suspension
    a temporary debarment from a privilege or position
    “No work. No going out. Not until your school suspension is over. I’ll be home at six.”
  37. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    I sigh into the phone and it feels so good to not be chastised for it.
  38. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
    She goes off on a tirade about...how Patrick has failed his driving test so many times he can’t try again until he’s eighteen.
  39. obscene
    offensive to the mind
    An obscene thought crosses my mind, and before it becomes anything more, I stuff the registration form away in the bottom drawer of my dresser.
  40. flak
    intense adverse criticism
    “Even if it is one of her tamer songs—or so she says—I am not taking the flak for that.”
Created on Thu Nov 09 17:00:54 EST 2017 (updated Tue Nov 14 16:35:00 EST 2017)

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