"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," Vocabulary from Chapters 1-7

25 Words Activities Assignments

show: definitions & notes only words

cerebral
of or relating to the brain

I was actually born with too much cerebral spinal fluid inside my skull.
lopsided
having one side lower or smaller or lighter than the other

My brain damage left me nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other, so my ugly glasses were all lopsided because my eyes were so lopsided.
seizure
a sudden attack of a disease, often characterized by spasms

But the thing is, I was having those seizures because I already had brain damage, so I was reopening wounds each time I seized.
susceptible
yielding readily to or capable of

I haven’t had a seizure in seven years, but the doctors tell me that I am “ susceptible to seizure activity.”
impediment
something immaterial that interferes with action or progress

You wouldn’t think there is anything life threatening about speech impediments, but let me tell you, there is nothing more dangerous than being a lad with a stutter and a lisp.
reservation
a district that is set aside for particular purpose

So I draw because I feel like it might be my only real chance to escape the reservation.
woe
misery resulting from affliction

And now I’m sure you’re asking, “Okay, okay, Mr. Hunger Artist, Mr. Mouth-Full-of-Words, Mr. Woe-Is-Me, Mr. Secret Recipe, what is the worst thing about being poor?”
whimper
cry weakly or softly

He whimpered in pain.
yelp
bark in a high-pitched tone

When I touched him, he yelped like crazy.
elder
a person of more advanced age

I was too young to deal blackjack at the casino, there were only about fifteen green grass lawns on the reservation (and none of their owners outsourced the mowing jobs), and the only paper route was owned by a tribal elder named Wally.
tsunami
a cataclysm resulting from a destructive sea wave

Tsunami mad.
perseverance
persistent determination

Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance.
depressed
filled with melancholy and despondency

After Oscar died, I was so depressed that I thought about crawling into a hole and disappearing forever.
brawl
to quarrel noisily, angrily or disruptively

This was the 127th annual one, and there would be singing, war dancing, gambling, storytelling, laughter, fry bread, hamburgers, hot dogs, arts and crafts, and plenty of alcoholic brawling.
persistent
never-ceasing

Rowdy isn’t a fast reader, but he’s persistent.
ambidextrous
equally skillful with each hand

I’m ambidextrous.
savior
a person who rescues you from harm or danger

prison-work farm for our liberal, white, vegetarian do-gooders and conservative, white missionary saviors.
supposedly
believed or reputed to be the case

Some of our teachers make us eat birdseed so we’ll feel closer to the earth, and other teachers hate birds because they are supposedly minions of the Devil.
minion
a servile or fawning dependant

Some of our teachers make us eat birdseed so we’ll feel closer to the earth, and other teachers hate birds because they are supposedly minions of the Devil.
decrepit
worn and broken down by hard use

And let me tell you, that old, old, old, decrepit geometry book hit my heart with the force of a nuclear bomb.
interrogate
pose a series of questions to

He was, like, interrogating me.
half-breed
an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different races (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry)

Those romances always featured a love affair between a virginal white schoolteacher or preacher’s wife and a half-breed Indian warrior.
burden
an onerous or difficult concern

I was carrying the burden of my race, you know?
vow
promise

We all got really mad and vowed to kick their asses the next game.
tumor
an abnormal new mass of tissue that serves no purpose

“I’m as serious as a tumor.”

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," Vocabulary from Chapters 1-7

Activities for this list:

Practice

Spelling Bee

Vocabulary Jam

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," Vocabulary from Chapters 1-7

Activities for this list:

Practice

Spelling Bee

Vocabulary Jam

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