Artemis Fowl: Chapters 3–4

by Eoin Colfer
In the first installment of this popular series, master criminal Artemis Fowl kidnaps a fairy and holds her for ransom.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 2, Chapters 3–4, Chapters 5–6, Chapters 7–8, Chapter 9–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. geniality
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable
    Leprechauns in general were not known for their geniality. But Holly was in an exceptionally bad mood, even for a fairy.
  2. cherubic
    having a sweet nature befitting an angel
    Her nose had a hook, and her mouth was plump and cherubic, which was appropriate considering Cupid was her great-grandfather.
  3. nettle
    plant having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation
    Holly grabbed the remains of a nettle smoothie from the cooler and drank it in the tunnels.
  4. thoroughfare
    a public road from one place to another
    As usual there was chaos in the main thoroughfare.
  5. kleptomaniac
    someone with an irrational urge to steal
    In the station lobby, a kleptomaniac dwarf was busy picking the pockets of everyone else in the booking line, including the officer he was handcuffed to.
  6. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
    “Do a thorough reconnaissance and report in. Do not attempt a retrieval. Is that understood?”
  7. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
    A truculent gnome refused to yield.
  8. pneumatic
    relating to or using air or a similar gas
    He glanced up sharply when Holly entered through the pneumatic double doors.
  9. canter
    go at a smooth three-beat gait, of horses
    Foaly cantered across to the equipment table.
  10. seismology
    the branch of geology that studies earthquakes
    The seismology section had a million probes down here, with a ninety-nine point eight success rate at predicting the magma flares.
  11. consign
    commit forever
    The fall seemed to last for an eternity. And just when Holly had mentally consigned herself to the scrap heap, she felt it.
  12. girth
    the distance around something, especially a person's body
    The flare had totally engulfed her pod, and it was a big one too. Force seven at the very least. A good thousand-foot girth.
  13. barrage
    the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area
    Holly sealed the helmet to protect her eyes, riding out the final barrage of rocks.
  14. subdue
    put down by force or intimidation
    Numbers would subdue even magic.
  15. throttle
    a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
    “About time,” she grunted, flicking the throttle wide open.
  16. addle
    mix up or confuse
    Gasoline fumes were addling her brain. What could she do? What was the right decision to make?
  17. rictus
    a gaping grimace
    It squinted at her through the hated light, its brow a rictus of pain and fear.
  18. pliant
    capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking
    The creature’s fingers were the size of bananas, but nowhere near as pliant.
  19. fetid
    offensively malodorous
    Holly could smell its fetid breath through her filters.
  20. complacent
    contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
    She was one hundred percent visible. And these humans wouldn’t stay complacent for long.
  21. behemoth
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
    Next she doused the smoldering troll with the contents of the restaurant’s fire extinguisher, hoping the icy powder wouldn’t revive the sleeping behemoth.
  22. ruddy
    of the color between orange and purple in the color spectrum
    Root grunted, his complexion returning to its normal ruddy hue.
  23. lout
    an awkward, foolish person
    “Well, the thing is, Artemis,” she said hesitantly, twisting a strand of blond hair in a way that several of the local louts considered extremely attractive.
  24. parameter
    any factor defining a system and determining its performance
    He’d never got around to filling in his sister on the mission parameters.
  25. reprove
    reprimand, scold, or express dissatisfaction with
    Artemis scowled reprovingly at him.
  26. procure
    get by special effort
    “Good. Now, there are several items you will need to procure for our moonlight jaunts.”
  27. implicitly
    without doubting or questioning
    “Yes, Butler. Sunglasses. Trust me.”
    And Butler did. Implicitly.
  28. jaunt
    a journey taken for pleasure
    The battery readout showed four red bars—more than enough for a quick jaunt through mainland Europe and across the British Isles.
  29. elements
    violent or severe weather
    The suit protected Holly from the worst of the elements, but she could still feel the chill sinking into her bones.
  30. revelry
    unrestrained merrymaking
    Immigration would have their hands full, as thousands of surface-sick fairies were drawn irresistibly overground. A large percentage would make it, probably causing mayhem in their revelry.
  31. debunk
    expose while ridiculing
    Thankfully the rest of the world assumed that the Irish were crazy, a theory that the Irish themselves did nothing to debunk.
  32. affinity
    a natural attraction or feeling of kinship
    But in spite of all that, if there was one race the People felt an affinity for it was the Irish.
  33. eccentricity
    strange and unconventional behavior
    Perhaps it was their eccentricity, perhaps their dedication to the craic, as they called it.
  34. consummate
    having or revealing supreme mastery or skill
    Even Butler, the consummate professional, was beginning to dread the long nights of dampness and insect bites.
  35. brook
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    But Artemis’s concentration was absolute. He would brook no interference or lapse of focus.
  36. contrive
    make or work out a plan for; devise
    Artemis had somehow contrived to remain spotless.
  37. polymer
    a naturally occurring or synthetic compound
    It was constructed of an elasticated foil polymer on a multihinged fiberglass skeleton.
  38. bracing
    refreshing or invigorating
    The oak tree crackled overhead, its branches rasping together in the bracing breeze.
  39. diminutive
    very small
    The diminutive figure before them unhooked a contraption from around its shoulders and lifted a full-face helmet from a definitely nonhuman head.
  40. misgiving
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
    Artemis saw the pain in the creature’s eyes as the hollow hypodermic plunged into her body. And for a moment he experienced misgivings.
Created on Tue Dec 18 16:46:44 EST 2018 (updated Thu Dec 20 09:15:29 EST 2018)

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