Sugar: List 3

by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ten-year-old Sugar endures grueling work on a sugar plantation, but her friendships with the plantation owner's son and new Chinese laborers offer her hope and community.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
25 words 54 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    Their pants are billowy and loose.
  2. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    All the men—about a dozen—clamber down.
  3. wiry
    lean but strong
    “Had to chain them,” says the wiry man, balancing his rifle.
  4. jolt
    move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    “Stubborn,” says the driver, cracking the carriage whip. Snap. The horses jolt forward.
  5. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    I can’t stand the strain, the scared and wary feelings in the air.
  6. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Sauntering past me, flicking his tail like he’s better than me, No Name brushes against the youngest Chinaman.
  7. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Mister Beale’s eyes glower, pushing out the day’s light. His face is tight, twisted.
  8. scuff
    poke at with the foot or toe
    I hug him, then run across the yard, scuffing dirt, letting my shawl flap and fly.
  9. darn
    repair a garment by weaving thread across a hole
    Chinamen are talking softly, darning clothes, or smoking pipes.
  10. lard
    soft white semisolid fat obtained from pigs
    River Road folks stand quiet in the field, smelling of lard, cayenne.
  11. ruddy
    inclined to a healthy reddish color
    Off to the side, Mister Wills, white and ruddy, stands.
  12. lame
    disabled in the feet or legs
    Mister Wills and Billy are bewildered. Overseer Tom is sputtering like a lame rooster.
  13. hearth
    a built-in space in a wall where a fire can be built
    Missus Beale pulls two cast-iron pans of corn bread from the hearth.
  14. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    “Billy?” asks Mister Zheng, his voice deep like a frog’s. Not lilting like Master Liu’s.
  15. clan
    group of people related by blood or marriage
    No. From being poor. Being street boy. Mister Zheng, Mister Li, Chen, others, all farmers. All from Sichuan. Chinese clan.
  16. relentless
    not willing or able to stop or yield
    I hear his gasp. Relentless, I go on, scared I won’t be able to finish.
  17. haphazard
    marked by great carelessness
    The cemetery is haphazard, cluttered, full.
  18. sprig
    a small branch or stem, usually with leaves or flowers
    I pour meal into the boiling water. It thickens fast. I add a sprig of rosemary.
  19. gruel
    a thin porridge
    I fill both bowls with gruel.
  20. refinery
    an industrial plant for purifying a crude substance
    Let the cane burn, I think. Burn-burn-burn. But a wildfire can destroy our homes. Explode the refinery, spraying melted sugar.
  21. muss
    make messy or untidy
    Mister Wills is on the porch, ringing the bell. His shirt is open. His hair mussed.
  22. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    Billy’s thrashing on the bed, his face pale, his hair slicked by sweat.
  23. buck
    move in a jerky or violent manner
    Billy bucks forward and back.
  24. rasp
    speak in a harsh, grating voice
    “Br’er Rabbit rasped, ‘Water. I need water.’ Before anybody could stop him, he hopped high, up into the bucket. And down, down, down he went, deeper into the well.”
  25. croon
    sing softly
    Rabbit started singing, ‘Oh, the fish down here are fine. Fish. Fish,’ he crooned. ‘So many fish.’
Created on Mon Feb 03 16:59:57 EST 2020 (updated Tue Feb 04 10:27:26 EST 2020)

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