Animal Farm: Chapters 7-8

by George Orwell
What would happen if the Russian Revolution of 1917 took place on a small English farm? This provocative novella blends fable, satire, and allegory while grappling with some of the twentieth-century's most consequential political ideas.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-2, Chapters 3-4, Chapters 5-6, Chapters 7-8, Chapters 9-10

Here are links to our lists for other works by George Orwell: 1984, Politics and the English Language, Shooting an Elephant
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. thwart
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Led by three young Black Minorca pullets, the hens made a determined effort to thwart Napoleon's wishes.
  2. decree
    issue an authoritative order
    He ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death.
  3. capitulate
    surrender under agreed conditions
    For five days the hens held out, then they capitulated and went back to their nesting boxes.
  4. duly
    as might be expected
    Whymper heard nothing of this affair, and the eggs were duly delivered, a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away.
  5. pervade
    spread or diffuse through
    It seemed to them as though Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers.
  6. categorically
    in an absolute, definite, or firm manner
    "Our Leader, Comrade Napoleon," announced Squealer, speaking very slowly and firmly, "has stated categorically — categorically, comrade — that Snowball was Jones's agent from the very beginning — yes, and from long before the Rebellion was ever thought of."
  7. secrete
    conceal or place out of sight
    Then a goose came forward and confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year's harvest and eaten them in the night.
  8. gild
    decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold
    The grass and the bursting hedges were gilded by the level rays of the sun.
  9. retinue
    the group following and attending to some important person
    When he did appear, he was attended not only by his retinue of dogs but by a black cockerel who marched in front of him and acted as a kind of trumpeter, letting out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" before Napoleon spoke.
  10. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    Snowball was known to be still skulking on Pinchfield Farm.
  11. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
    In the late summer yet another of Snowball’s machinations was laid bare.
  12. censure
    rebuke formally
    So far from being decorated, he had been censured for showing cowardice in the battle.
  13. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
    In addition, four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory message, which it was hoped might re-establish good relations with Pilkington.
  14. lamentation
    a cry of sorrow and grief
    A cry of lamentation went up. Straw was laid down outside the doors of the farmhouse, and the animals walked on tiptoe.
  15. contrive
    make or work out a plan for; devise
    A rumour went round that Snowball had after all contrived to introduce poison into Napoleon's food.
Created on Thu Dec 20 22:17:50 EST 2012 (updated Mon Jul 28 14:15:49 EDT 2025)

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