Silent to the Bone: Chapters 1–4

by E.L. Konigsburg
Connor's best friend Branwell hasn't said a word since he was accused of seriously injuring his younger sister. Connor is determined to find out what really happened so that Branwell can clear his name.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–15, Chapters 16–24

Here is a link to our lists for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pinpoint
    locate exactly
    It is easy to pinpoint the minute when my friend Branwell began his silence.
  2. asthma
    respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing
    Is there a history of asthma or heart trouble?
  3. paramedic
    a person trained to give emergency medical treatment
    In the ambulance en route to the hospital, Vivian sat up front with the driver, who was also a paramedic.
  4. resuscitate
    cause to regain consciousness
    Meanwhile the paramedic who rode with the baby in the ambulance was following the ABCs for resuscitation—airway, breathing, and circulation.
  5. circulation
    the movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels
    Meanwhile the paramedic who rode with the baby in the ambulance was following the ABCs for resuscitation—airway, breathing, and circulation.
  6. trauma
    physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident
    Once inside the trauma center at Clarion County Hospital, Nikki was put on a respirator and wrapped in blankets.
  7. coma
    a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness
    When Dr. Z called me, he reported that the pressure in Nikki’s skull was dropping, and that was a good sign, but, he cautioned, she was still in a coma.
  8. eerie
    suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
    His hair was greasy and uncombed, and he was so pale that the orange jumpsuit he wore cast an apricot glow up from his chin just as his red hair seemed to cast the same eerie glow across his forehead.
  9. moodiness
    a sullen gloomy feeling
    Then six weeks passed—the six weeks between Columbus Day and that 911 call—and I still had not caught the moodiness that was deepening in my friend.
  10. estrangement
    separation resulting from hostility
    After that first strange, clouded visit, I decided that if I was going back (and I knew that I would), nothing good was going to come out of my visits unless I forgot about our estrangement, forgot about having an assignment from Dr. Z, and acted like the old friend I was.
  11. blindside
    attack someone whose view of the attack is obstructed
    Three blocks from their house, he was blindsided by a drunk driver.
  12. gait
    a person's manner of walking
    So most people comment on his gait rather than his speed—even though he often wins, places, or shows.
  13. offbeat
    strikingly unconventional
    But even his taste in music is offbeat.
  14. segregated
    separated or isolated from others or a main group
    I wrote about the Freedom Riders who rode buses through the South in 1961 challenging segregated seating, rest rooms, and drinking fountains.
  15. philosophical
    relating to the investigation of existence and knowledge
    You could say that his essay was philosophical; mine was historical.
  16. lukewarm
    feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm
    They thought Branwell was only lukewarm about it, but the exact opposite was true.
  17. infamous
    known widely and usually unfavorably
    Every November—save the one with the infamous 911 call—Dr. Zamborska and Branwell traveled to Pittsburgh to spend Thanksgiving with his father’s parents.
  18. recite
    repeat aloud from memory
    This man—his last name was Bauby—wrote the whole book by having a friend recite the alphabet to him, and when she came to the letter he wanted, he would blink that left eye.
  19. dictate
    say out loud for the purpose of recording
    Bran decided that if someone dictates a letter that someone else writes or types, the writer is the one who puts the words together.
  20. doctorate
    one of the highest earned degrees conferred by a university
    I wrote things as they came to me. Like those association tests given by my mother who is getting her doctorate in psychology.
  21. cliche
    a trite or obvious remark
    Bran got four stars, our highest rating, for that SIAS because although we deduct for ands—he had used one—we also award extra points for cliches, and he had managed to work three into one SIAS.
  22. trek
    any long and difficult trip
    Unprepared for a two-and-a-half-mile trek across campus in the rain, I decided to walk the short distance to Schuyler Place, where I could call my mother and wait out of the rain.
  23. civil
    of or relating to or befitting citizens as individuals
    So to be left really alone is like a gift of civil rights.
  24. registrar
    the administrator responsible for student records
    My dad, Roderick Kane, is the registrar. He keeps the university records.
  25. genetic
    relating to the study of heredity and variation in organisms
    Somewhat famous means that People magazine is not likely to write a story about him, but The Journal of Genetic Research will print anything he has to say.
  26. privilege
    a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
    The accident happened on the Saturday night of a weekend when Dad had visiting privileges.
  27. retrieve
    get or find back; recover the use of
    When he reached over the carousel to retrieve his bag, Margaret noticed a band of sunburn across the back of his neck.
  28. expectant
    marked by eager anticipation
    Branwell looked around expectantly.
  29. molecular
    relating to the simplest units of an element or compound
    She was a molecular biologist working on identifying genes associated with complex genetic traits.
  30. cultivate
    foster the growth of
    What Bran didn’t know was how much time they had been spending together in the lab, cultivating more than just DNA.
Created on Mon Dec 17 19:05:23 EST 2018 (updated Fri Dec 21 08:53:27 EST 2018)

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