The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: "The Girl in the Garden"–Chapter 5

by Joyce Sidman
This biography, which won the Robert F. Sibert Medal, recounts the life of Maria Merian, a naturalist who studied insects.

Here are links to our lists for the book: "The Girl in the Garden"–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–8, Chapters 9–10, Chapter 11–"The Woman in Her World"
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. telltale
    disclosing unintentionally
    As she combs the emerald bushes, she looks for telltale signs — eggs no bigger than pinpricks, or leaf edges scalloped by the jaws of an inching worm.
  2. lore
    knowledge gained through tradition or anecdote
    She does not believe the local lore: that “summer birds,” or butterflies, creep out from under the earth.
  3. brazier
    large metal container in which coal or charcoal is burned
    Apprentices (craftsmen in training) heat the engraved copper plates on a charcoal brazier, cover them with ink, and then wipe them down so the ink clings to the engraved lines.
  4. flourish
    make steady progress
    The Thirty Years’ War, which had pummeled and bankrupted much of Europe, was finally winding down, and intellectual life flourished.
  5. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
    This left his young wife, Johanna, and three-year-old Maria in a precarious position.
  6. maggot
    fly larva commonly found in decaying organic matter
    Some believed that sunshine shrank drops of dew into eggs, which hatched into maggots.
  7. abomination
    an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence
    “Every flying creeping thing,” according to the Bible, “shall be an abomination....Neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled.”
  8. defile
    spot, stain, or pollute
    “Every flying creeping thing,” according to the Bible, “shall be an abomination....Neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled.”
  9. embellish
    make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
    “I was always encouraged to embellish my flower painting with caterpillars, summer birds and such little animals, in the same manner as landscape painters do, to enliven the one through the other.”
  10. deft
    skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
    Marrel noticed her energy and her deft hands.
  11. guild
    a formal association of people with similar interests
    To control the practice of their trade, craftsmen banded together to form societies called guilds.
  12. metamorphosis
    the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult
    The silkworm was the only caterpillar of the time whose metamorphosis was well understood.
  13. naturalist
    a biologist knowledgeable about botany and zoology
    A good naturalist needed more than just a scientific mind — she needed artistic skill.
  14. voracious
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
    The silkworms were voracious yet finicky.
  15. finicky
    fussy, especially about details
    The silkworms were voracious yet finicky.
Created on Tue Feb 11 16:14:41 EST 2020 (updated Fri Jul 11 16:23:42 EDT 2025)

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