Dread Nation: Chapters 10–15

by Justina Ireland
The American Civil War ends abruptly when fallen soldiers begin to rise from the dead and attack the living. Like many Native American and African American children, Jane is conscripted into a combat school to learn to fight these so-called "shamblers." But when Jane heads to the West to search for a missing girl, she encounters dangers even more perilous than zombies.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–15, Chapters 16–23, Chapters 24–29, Chapters 30–38
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. debutante
    a young woman making her formal entrance into society
    I may not ever get to be a debutante, but catering to the fine white women of Baltimore is a far more worthy endeavor.
  2. revel
    take delight in
    It ain’t Christian to revel in the misery of others, but I like to make an exception for Katherine.
  3. homespun
    a rough loosely woven fabric
    The clothes he wears, homespun shirt and trousers, suit him.
  4. untoward
    not in keeping with accepted standards of what is proper
    But I’m saved from doing anything untoward by Miss Preston entering the room.
  5. tableau
    any dramatic scene
    She takes in the tableau before her and frowns.
  6. vellum
    fine parchment prepared from the skin of a young animal
    She shuffles through a stack of papers on her desk and pulls out a lovely cream-colored vellum envelope.
  7. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
    Miss Preston opens her mouth to speak and I continue, in an attempt to cover my lack of grace and decorum.
  8. untimely
    badly scheduled
    That night, exhausted and preoccupied with the mayor's untimely invitation, I do the same thing I always do when I’m fretful: I dream of Rose Hill, and of Rachel, the only person I ever knew to hate my momma.
  9. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
    But the strangest thing about Momma, the thing that made some of the neighbors smile tightly and alienated all the rest, is Momma's rumored penchant for field hands—the stronger, the darker, the better.
  10. dullard
    a person who is not very bright or interesting
    I discovered later that, even before I was born, Momma had a reputation for going out and buying the worst of the worst at the auctions: the runaways; the dullards; the cheapest, lousiest Negroes you could find.
  11. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
    During the beginning of the Years of Discord, Momma made it her business to always help a neighbor in need, especially as Rose Hill flourished, so most folks found Momma's peccadilloes less important than her willingness to ride out with a team and help clear a field of dead.
  12. befall
    become of; happen to
    In Rachel's mind, every ill that befell her was the work of someone else.
  13. rabble
    the common people or lower classes
    “You know the missus weren't no lady afore she married the major, now don't you? She ain't nothing but rabble, she ain't got no class like Missus Hooper, my first mistress, God rest her soul.''
  14. embroil
    force into some kind of situation or course of action
    “Kate, has it occurred to you how odd it is that the mayor would invite us to a formal dinner, just like that? It’s been over two weeks since the lecture, and he didn’t seem to think much of our heroics until a week later. Not to mention the fact that he’s embroiled in some scandal involving the Spencers.”
  15. soiree
    a party of people assembled in the evening
    He's obviously a busy man. And his wife is known for the care and dedication she takes when planning the details of her soirees.
  16. reverie
    absentminded dreaming while awake
    Katherine's sigh jolts me from my reverie.
  17. paltry
    contemptibly small in amount or size
    I open my mouth to offer some paltry platitude, when I’m interrupted by Katherine saying, “Maybe we could help. We're going there for dinner.”
  18. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
    I open my mouth to offer some paltry platitude, when I’m interrupted by Katherine saying, “Maybe we could help. We're going there for dinner.”
  19. magpie
    an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker
    Katherine is chatty as a magpie on the way to the mayor’s house, and even Miss Duncan looks a bit fatigued from attempting to share in her good humor.
  20. cupola
    a roof or part of a roof in the form of a dome
    The mayor’s house is newer and made of a white stone that rises up four stories, the roof topped by a plethora of cupolas and gables, looking very fancy and imposing.
  21. gable
    the triangular wall between the sloping ends of a roof
    The mayor’s house is newer and made of a white stone that rises up four stories, the roof topped by a plethora of cupolas and gables, looking very fancy and imposing.
  22. sidle
    move sideways
    Katherine looks over as I sidle up, wearing her lemon-eating face.
  23. homely
    lacking in physical beauty or proportion
    The man looks like he's about to object to her polite refusal, but then he catches an older woman's eye and moves off to escort a homely girl in a yellow dress instead.
  24. tureen
    a large deep serving dish with a cover
    The first course is served, a cream-based soup the servants ladle out from a large tureen.
  25. bisque
    a thick, creamy soup made from shellfish
    I sniff the air. Crab bisque. It looks heavenly.
  26. exploit
    a notable achievement
    Stories have power, and how long will it be before Miss Preston hears about my nocturnal exploits?
  27. compote
    dessert of stewed or baked fruit
    The servants return to clear the plates and set down the next course, a fruit compote with cheese melted on top.
  28. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    Up to now I've been focused on whatever mischief Jackson is getting mixed up with, Mr. Redfern's inscrutable glare, and the food everyone has been eating.
  29. pretense
    the act of giving a false appearance
    “What?” he snarls, all pretense of manners gone.
  30. ledger
    a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
    I open the drawers beside the desk, but there’s nothing unusual, just the normal ledger keeping and invoices you’d expect for a tobacco farm.
  31. emboss
    raise in a relief
    SUMMERLAND is written there in gold embossed letters.
  32. mite
    a slight but appreciable amount
    The angel casting them out looks a mite bit like the mayor.
  33. conducive
    tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
    The preacher might be able to curb their baser instincts, and the sheriff has a way about him that is conducive to corralling wayward Negroes.
  34. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
    The preacher might be able to curb their baser instincts, and the sheriff has a way about him that is conducive to corralling wayward Negroes.
  35. repute
    the state of being held in high esteem and honor
    After all, she came to us by way of a house of ill repute.
Created on Wed May 30 08:28:38 EDT 2018 (updated Wed May 30 13:48:33 EDT 2018)

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