The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: Chapters 6–8

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"
15 words 167 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hysteria
    excessive or uncontrollable fear
    Witch hysteria was spurred by overzealous clerics and simple factors such as envy and ill will among neighbors, but the trials were very real.
  2. ostracize
    avoid speaking to or dealing with
    They were ostracized (shunned) and often blamed for illnesses, accidents, crop failures, and other disasters.
  3. dormant
    in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
    Somehow, in its silent, dormant stage, this living being was slowly and miraculously turning itself into a butterfly, though she had yet to figure out the exact moment of transformation.
  4. patron
    someone who supports or champions something
    Maria, however, grew less and less interested in dressing up and accompanying her husband to seek patrons among the rich and influential.
  5. meticulous
    marked by extreme care in treatment of details
    She was a meticulous researcher.
  6. tedious
    so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
    It was tedious work, but it soon yielded fascinating conclusions.
  7. masquerade
    pretend to be someone or something that you are not
    Some caterpillars masquerade as dead leaves, twigs, snakes, even bird droppings, to avoid being eaten.
  8. parasitism
    when one organism benefits from another by causing damage
    Maria did not realize until later in her life that these “false changes” — moth cocoons that produced flies or wasps instead of moths — were caused by insect parasitism.
  9. frontispiece
    an illustration facing the title page of a book
    The frontispiece for Maria’s caterpillar book features the first caterpillar she ever studied: the silkworm, perched on its host plant of mulberry leaves.
  10. ingenious
    showing inventiveness and skill
    Fellow “garden-lovers” and even some distinguished natural philosophers welcomed the work of this “ingenious woman,” for many of these metamorphoses had never been observed before.
  11. stylized
    using artistic forms and conventions to create effects
    Maria deftly combined scientific information with gorgeously stylized leaves and flowers.
  12. chafe
    feel extreme irritation or anger
    Did he chafe at the amount of time, space, and effort she devoted to her study?
  13. estrangement
    separation resulting from hostility
    Whatever the cause of their estrangement, the two rarely saw each other.
  14. squabble
    a quarrel about petty points
    As her family continued to squabble over money, she grew impatient with the world of human society — so full of suspicion, prejudice, and greed.
  15. seclusion
    the act of isolating oneself from others
    She needed time, space, and quiet seclusion to determine the future course of her life.
Created on Tue Feb 11 16:14:50 EST 2020 (updated Fri Jul 11 16:24:08 EDT 2025)

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