The Lottery

Debbie G. (United States of America)
16 words 13 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. black box
    equipment that records information about the performance of an aircraft during flight
    The postmaster, Mr. Graves, followed him, carrying a three- legged stool, and the stool was put in the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box down on it.
  2. lottery
    a game in which players buy chances to win
    The Lottery

    by Shirley Jackson

    Word Count: 3773


    The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.
  3. square dance
    American country dancing in which couples form squares
    The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time and energy to devote to civic activities.
  4. Delacroix
    French romantic painter (1798-1863)
    Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-- the villagers pronounced this name "Dellacroy"--eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys.
  5. dickie
    a man's detachable insert to simulate the front of a shirt
    Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-- the villagers pronounced this name "Dellacroy"--eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys.
  6. underfoot
    under the feet
    The rest of the year, the box was put way, sometimes one place, sometimes another; it had spent one year in Mr. Graves's barn and another year underfoot in the post office. and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there.
  7. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    The Lottery

    by Shirley Jackson

    Word Count: 3773


    The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.
  8. reprimand
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
    School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play. and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.
  9. jovial
    full of or showing high-spirited merriment
    He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him. because he had no children and his wife was a scold.
  10. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
    School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play. and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.
  11. discarded
    thrown away
    Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations.
  12. tended to
    having a caretaker or other watcher
    School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play. and their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands.
  13. assemble
    create by putting components or members together
    The children assembled first, of course.
  14. discard
    anything that is cast aside
    Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations.
  15. scold
    censure severely or angrily
    He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him. because he had no children and his wife was a scold.
  16. come forward
    make oneself visible; take action
    Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter. came forward to hold the box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papers inside it.
Created on Wed Mar 02 23:24:57 EST 2011

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.