VOCABULARY LISTS : LITERATURE

"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner, List 1: April Seventh, 1928

July 12, 2018 By Vocabulary.com (NY) Vocabulary.com Moderator
A fragmented history of the Compson family, this novel plays with language, chronology, and perspective.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: April Seventh, 1928; June Second, 1910; April Sixth, 1928; April Eighth, 1928

Here are links to our lists for other works by William Faulkner: A Rose for Emily, Absalom, Absalom!, As I Lay Dying
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30 Words Activities Assignments
definitions & notes only words
  1. stoop
    bend one's back forward from the waist on down
    Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over, Caddy said. Stoop over, Benjy.
  2. rasp
    scrape with a coarse file
    We stooped over and crossed the garden, where the flowers rasped and rattled against us.
  3. churn
    be agitated
    The ground was hard, churned and knotted.
  4. jounce
    move up and down repeatedly
    Caddy was walking. Then she was running, her booksatchel swinging and jouncing behind her.
  5. slobber
    let saliva dribble from the mouth
    Cant you shut up that moaning and slobbering, Luster said.
  6. racket
    a loud and disturbing noise
    Aint you shamed of yourself, making all this racket.
  7. rheumatism
    any painful disorder of the joints or muscles
    “You know just as well as me that Roskus got the rheumatism too bad to do more than he have to, Miss Cahline.”
  8. jolt
    move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    The carriage jolted and crunched on the drive.
  9. bawl
    cry loudly
    “Do you want to get that damn looney to bawling in the middle of the square. Drive on, T. P.”
  10. yonder
    in an indicated distant place
    “They aint nothing over yonder but houses.”
  11. tend
    have care of or look after
    “I aint studying no quarter. I got my own business to tend to.”
  12. reckon
    expect, believe, or suppose
    “He just starts like that. He been at it all morning. Cause it his birthday, I reckon.”
  13. bodice
    part of a dress above the waist
    Caddy took her dress off and threw it on the bank. Then she didn’t have on anything but her bodice and drawers, and Quentin slapped her and she slipped and fell down in the water.
  14. trough
    a container from which cattle or horses feed
    He was down at the branch when we got to where we could smell the pigs. They were grunting and snuffing in the trough in the corner.
  15. nuzzle
    gently rub or push one's nose or face against something
    The calf was in the pig pen. It nuzzled at the wire, bawling.
  16. notion
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    “Your bad luck talk got them Memphis notions into Versh. That ought to satisfy you.”
  17. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    “You take Luster outen that bed, mammy.” Frony said. “That boy conjure him.”
  18. lattice
    framework consisting of an ornamental wood or metal design
    We drank the sassprilluh and T. P. pushed the bottle through the lattice, under the house, and went away.
  19. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    The tree quit thrashing. We looked up into the still branches.
  20. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    Caddy got the box and set it on the floor and opened it. It was full of stars. When I was still, they were still. When I moved, they glinted and sparkled.
  21. begrudge
    allow unwillingly or reluctantly
    “If you begrudge Maury your food, why aren’t you man enough to say so to his face. To ridicule him before the children, behind his back.”
  22. putrefaction
    a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor
    Bad health is the primary reason for all life. Created by disease, within putrefaction, into decay.
  23. scuffle
    walk by dragging one's feet
    Dan came waddling out from under the steps and chewed my ankle. I went around the kitchen, where the moon was. Dan came scuffling along, into the moon.
  24. beau
    a man with whom one has a romantic relationship
    Luster came back. Wait, he said. Here. Dont go over there. Miss Quentin and her beau in the swing yonder. You come on this way. Come back here, Benjy.
  25. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    “Getting Quentin all riled up.” Dilsey said. “Why cant you keep him away from her. Dont you know she dont like him where she at.”
  26. pantry
    a small storeroom for storing food or beverages
    “Look in the pantry and tear a piece off of that rag hanging on the nail.”
  27. tote
    carry with difficulty
    “You aint big enough to tote a flea. You go on and be quiet, like Mr Jason said.”
  28. stagger
    walk with great difficulty
    Caddy stooped and lifted me. We staggered.
  29. carriage
    characteristic way of bearing one's body
    “He’s too big for you to carry. You must stop trying. You’ll injure your back. All of our women have prided themselves on their carriage. Do you want to look like a washerwoman.”
  30. vulgar
    lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
    “I told you not to call him that. It was bad enough when your father insisted on calling you by that silly nickname, and I will not have him called by one. Nicknames are vulgar. Only common people use them. Benjamin.”

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