Gregor the Overlander: Chapters 5–9

by Suzanne Collins
In the basement of their New York City apartment building, Gregor and his little sister discover a portal to an underground world populated by giant bats, insects, and rodents.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–18, Chapters 19–27

Here are links to our lists for other books by Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. artful
    marked by skill or cunning in achieving a desired end
    Maybe they weren’t as tall as the skyscrapers Gregor knew by name, but they towered high above his head, some at least thirty stories and finished in artful peaks and turrets.
  2. turret
    a small tower extending above a building
    Maybe they weren’t as tall as the skyscrapers Gregor knew by name, but they towered high above his head, some at least thirty stories and finished in artful peaks and turrets.
  3. cherub
    an angel portrayed as a winged child
    And the carvings...Gregor had seen cherubs and gargoyles on buildings before, but the walls of Regalia crawled with life.
  4. gargoyle
    an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure
    And the carvings...Gregor had seen cherubs and gargoyles on buildings before, but the walls of Regalia crawled with life.
  5. conceivable
    capable of being imagined
    People and cockroaches and fish and creatures Gregor had no name for fought and feasted and danced on every conceivable inch of space.
  6. surmise
    infer from incomplete evidence
    “Two lead to the Dead Land, but you would never have survived those. Two gateways open into the Waterway, but your clothing is quite dry. You are alive, you are dry, from this I surmise you have fallen through the fifth gateway, the mouth of which I know to be in New York City.”
  7. coincide
    happen simultaneously
    “Well, your fall coincided most favorably with the currents.”
  8. accommodate
    provide with something desired or needed
    “We usually fly, but if one’s bat cannot accommodate...” Vikus gestured above his head. Gregor craned his neck back and saw that a platform was being rapidly lowered from a large, rectangular window.
  9. translucent
    allowing light to pass through diffusely
    A group of three Underlanders, all with the same translucent skin and violet eyes, waited to greet them.
  10. arrogance
    overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner
    None of them had Luxa’s arrogance or Vikus’s easy commanding presence.
  11. clique
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
    He had a couple of good friends, but he avoided becoming part of any one clique at school.
  12. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    He could hear water running, and steam wafted out into the hall.
  13. lather
    rub soap all over, usually with the purpose of cleaning
    He lathered his hair and even cleaned inside his ears wanting to get every bit of Overlander smell off him.
  14. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    “So, what happened to my clothes?” asked Gregor.
    “They have been burned,” said Mareth apprehensively.
  15. elated
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    “Thanks,” he said casually, but he was secretly elated. It would be a lot easier to escape with Boots in a backpack than in his arms.
  16. stoop
    carry oneself with head and shoulders bent forward
    Gregor guessed she might be around his grandma’s age, but his grandma was stooped and moved painfully from arthritis.
  17. lurch
    move abruptly
    Gregor joined Vikus at the wall and felt his stomach lurch.
  18. longevity
    the property of having lived for a considerable time
    “Yet they live on. Perhaps when you can comprehend the reason for their longevity you will have more respect for them.”
  19. skimpy
    containing little excess
    He could tell by the skimpy portion that the leafy stuff was supposed to be a big treat.
  20. rekindle
    inflame anew, as of a fire
    Mareth had told him that torches burned all night long in the corridor outside his room and he could rekindle the flame there.
  21. ragged
    worn out from stress or strain
    Everyone could see Boots could barely keep her eyes open, and he must have looked pretty ragged himself.
  22. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    Adrenaline was pumping through him so fast, he was afraid that people could hear his heart beating through the heavy curtains that shut off their bedroom from the hall.
  23. grope
    feel about uncertainly or blindly
    Gregor groped his way to the curtain and pushed the edge aside.
  24. grim
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    “Down the river,” he thought grimly. “Wherever that leads.”
  25. churn
    be agitated
    It wasn’t terribly wide, but it ran with such speed that the surface was churned into white foam.
  26. affix
    attach to
    “How do you get this thing down in the water?” he wondered. Two ropes held it aloft. They were attached to a metal wheel that was affixed to the dock.
  27. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Along with the boulders, he had to dodge the jagged black rocks that jutted out of the water.
  28. idle
    lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
    “Ah, here you are at last,” said the rat idly.
  29. morsel
    a small amount of solid food; a mouthful
    “It is tempting, but he is more bone than meat, and she is such a morsel,” said Shed.
  30. haunch
    the upper part of the leg of an animal, often used for food
    Sitting back on their haunches, they were a good six feet tall, and their legs, arms, whatever you called them, bulged with muscle under their gray fur.
  31. protrude
    extend out or project in space
    But the worst part of all was their teeth, six-inch incisors that protruded out of their whiskered mouths.
  32. gorge
    overeat or eat immodestly
    “But the pup has gorged on stewed cow and cream,” returned Shed.
  33. banter
    light teasing repartee
    He brushed off his clothes and tried to adopt the rats’ casual banter.
  34. wield
    handle effectively
    The humans began to dive at the rats, wielding swords.
  35. loom
    hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
    Perdita hit her head on the cavern wall as she landed and was knocked out. Fangor loomed over her and aimed his teeth at her neck.
  36. frenzy
    state of violent mental agitation
    Her cries echoed off the walls, sending Shed into a frenzy and disorienting the bats.
  37. mantel
    a shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace
    Looking like she’d love to slap him again, Luxa stalked to the mantel and glared into the fire.
  38. seemly
    according with custom or propriety
    “Be that as it may, Luxa, this is not seemly,” said Vikus, but Gregor could see the news had upset him.
  39. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
    “Henry says he fought,” Luxa admitted grudgingly. “But without skill or knowledge of weapons.”
  40. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    Gregor pulled Boots up over his head and out of the backpack. She settled on his lap, wrapping Gregor’s arms tightly around her and looking at Vikus and Luxa with large, solemn eyes.
Created on Thu Jul 19 20:50:07 EDT 2018 (updated Fri Jul 27 11:06:22 EDT 2018)

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