Murder on the Orient Express: Part One: Chapters 1-3

by Agatha Christie
When a passenger is murdered on a stalled train, detective Hercule Poirot must investigate which of the other passengers committed the crime.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One: Chapters 1-3, Part One: Chapters 4-8, Part Two: Chapters 1-10, Part Two: Chapters 11-15, Part Three: Chapters 1-9

Here is a link to our lists for And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
30 words 1437 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. resplendent
    having great beauty
    By the step leading up into the sleeping car stood a young French lieutenant, resplendent in uniform, conversing with a small lean man, muffled up to the ears, of whom nothing was visible but a pink-tipped nose and the two points of an upward curled moustache.
  2. surreptitious
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    Lieutenant Dubose managed to cast a surreptitious glance at his watch.
  3. valise
    a small overnight bag for short trips
    The conductor displayed to Poirot with a dramatic gesture the beauty of his sleeping compartment and the neat arrangement of his luggage. “The little valise of Monsieur, I have placed it here.”
  4. poise
    great coolness and composure under strain
    She had poise and efficiency.
  5. pallor
    an unnatural lack of color in the skin
    He rather liked the severe regularity of her features and the delicate pallor of her skin.
  6. peremptory
    not allowing contradiction or refusal
    “Boy,” he called in peremptory fashion.
  7. susceptible
    easily influenced mentally or emotionally
    “He is susceptible, our Colonel,” thought Hercule Poirot to himself with some amusement.
  8. downtrodden
    abused or oppressed by people in power
    “Oh! you mustn’t think that. The downtrodden governess is quite an exploded myth. I can assure you that it’s the parents who are afraid of being bullied by me.”
  9. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    M. Poirot was content to watch the teeming activity of the station through a window pane.
  10. philanthropist
    someone who makes charitable donations
    From a little distance he had the bland aspect of a philanthropist.
  11. malevolence
    the quality of threatening evil
    As the man, making some remark to his young companion, glanced across the room, his gaze stopped on Poirot for a moment, and just for that second there was a strange malevolence, and unnatural tensity in the glance.
  12. assent
    agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
    The elder man grunted an assent and passed out.
  13. berth
    a bed on a ship or train; usually in tiers
    “There is not one first-class sleeping berth to be had on the train.”
  14. sallow
    unhealthy looking
    He was a tall, sallow man of middle age.
  15. munificent
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
    However, even the most munificent of tips lose their effect when a director of the company is on board and issues his orders.
  16. amiable
    disposed to please
    “No, no,” protested Poirot. “I would not deprive you—”
    “That’s all right—”
    “You are too amiable—”
    Polite protests on both sides.
  17. morbid
    suggesting an unhealthy mental state
    “You are morbid, mon cher. It is, perhaps, the digestion.”
  18. swarthy
    naturally having skin of a dark color
    A big, swarthy Italian was picking his teeth with gusto.
  19. gesticulate
    show, express, or direct through movement
    The Italian removed his toothpick to gesticulate with it freely.
  20. sable
    the expensive dark brown fur of the marten
    Her sable coat was pushed back on her shoulders.
  21. toque
    a small round hat
    A very small expensive black toque was hideously unbecoming to the yellow, toad-like face beneath it.
  22. becoming
    displaying or setting off to best advantage
    A very small expensive black toque was hideously unbecoming to the yellow, toad-like face beneath it.
  23. autocratic
    offensively self-assured or exercising unwarranted power
    She was speaking now to the restaurant attendant in a clear, courteous but completely autocratic tone.
  24. nonchalance
    the trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care
    Her glance caught Poirot’s and swept over him with the nonchalance of the uninterested aristocrat.
  25. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
    “...And so my daughter said, ‘Why,’ she said ‘you just can’t apply Amurrican methods in this country. It’s just natural to the folks here to be indolent,’ she said.
  26. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
    Perhaps, Poirot thought, Mary Debenham had demurred. A governess learns to be careful. Appearances are important. A girl with her living to get has to be discreet.
  27. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    Perhaps, Poirot thought, Mary Debenham had demurred. A governess learns to be careful. Appearances are important. A girl with her living to get has to be discreet.
  28. unprepossessing
    creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression
    The latter sat facing Poirot, and for the second time Poirot studied that unprepossessing face, noting the false benevolence of the brow and the small, cruel eyes.
  29. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
    The elderly American lady’s voice rose shrill and plaintive.
  30. shrewd
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    The detective was conscious of those strange shrewd eyes summing him up before the other spoke again.
Created on Mon May 14 15:34:31 EDT 2018 (updated Tue May 15 13:14:07 EDT 2018)

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.