Seabiscuit: Chapters 7–12

by Laura Hillenbrand
In this engrossing work of nonfiction, Laura Hillenbrand recounts how three men teamed up to turn an unlikely racehorse into an American racing icon.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Preface–Chapter 6, Chapters 7–12, Chapters 13–19, Chapter 20–Epilogue

Here is a link to our lists forUnbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
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words only definitions & notes
  1. motley
    consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
    Motley collections of stray animals have always populated racetracks, and being the social creatures they are, horses usually befriend them.
  2. gouge
    an impression in a surface, as made by a blow
    Out on the range, the horse had experienced everything, including a bull goring that had left a gouge in his rump.
  3. parlance
    a manner of speaking natural to a language's native speakers
    He was, in the parlance of horsemen, “bombproof.”
  4. beleaguer
    surround so as to force to give up
    The beleaguered rider could do no better than cling to the horse’s neck for dear life.
  5. volition
    the act of making a choice
    Seabiscuit turned and walked back to the barn of his own volition.
  6. pliant
    capable of being influenced or formed
    Neither Smith nor his exercise rider had raised a hand to him, but the colt had learned the lesson that would transform him from a rogue to a pliant, happy horse: He would never again be forced to do what he didn’t want to do.
  7. quirk
    a strange attitude or habit
    The most difficult quirk was Seabiscuit’s behavior in the starting gate.
  8. withers
    the highest part of the back at the base of an animal's neck
    With the crowd on its feet, Pollard spread himself flat over Seabiscuit’s withers, reins clutched in his left hand, right hand pressed flat to Seabiscuit’s neck, head turned and eyes fixed on Professor Paul’s broad blaze.
  9. anthropomorphism
    the representation of objects as having human form
    Those unfamiliar with horses might scoff at the notion of equine pride as a silly anthropomorphism, but the behavior is unmistakable.
  10. clandestine
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
    It was no fluke: in another clandestine workout not long after, the colt would tie a thirty-year-old world record for seven eighths of a mile, running it in 1:22.
  11. canter
    go at a smooth three-beat gait, of horses
    They cantered down the lane and hit the wire, winners by five lengths.
  12. underscore
    give extra weight to
    The message was underscored when the West Coast’s most prominent “future book” wagering operator, who was based in San Francisco, rated Seabiscuit above Rosemont for the hundred-grander.
  13. sibilant
    of speech sounds forcing air through a constricted passage
    In the hush, a sibilant sound attended the finish photo as it slid down to the stewards.
  14. parochial
    narrowly restricted in outlook or scope
    He had inched him up through back alleys and smaller races, bypassing the nationally spotlighted races in favor of slow cultivation and parochial seclusion.
  15. intractable
    difficult to manage or mold
    A nation that drew its audacity from the quintessentially American belief that success is open to anyone willing to work for it was disillusioned by seemingly intractable poverty.
  16. devastation
    an event that results in total destruction
    The sweeping devastation was giving rise to powerful new social forces.
  17. credulity
    tendency to believe readily
    Racing had recently emerged from an era of corruption, and though incidents of foul play were now extremely rare, reporters tended to be overly suspicious of horsemen, accepted rumors of wrongdoing with credulity, and adopted a studied cynicism.
  18. excoriation
    severe censure
    The next morning the excoriation continued. On the track there were whispers that Pollard had been drunk during the race.
  19. idiosyncrasy
    a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual
    He is the only boy who knows his peculiarities, his idiosyncrasies, who knows how to get the best of him.
  20. yearling
    a racehorse that is about one year old
    He had nearly achieved his goal of buying every single Hard Tack yearling on the market.
  21. appurtenance
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
    He had all the appurtenances—the black hat, the white moustache, heaps of old eastern money.
  22. detente
    the easing of tensions or strained relations
    Some of the newsroom boys returned Riddle’s animosity, but the fact that he owned some of the fastest and most noteworthy horses on earth led to a certain uneasy detente.
  23. imperious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    He had the same imperious, lordly way of his father.
  24. lurid
    glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism
    He lunged forward on the bleeding leg, blew past the entire field in ten leaps, and charged on, a lurid spray of blood flying out behind him as he ran.
  25. sidle
    move sideways
    Stucki did as asked, and Pumpkin’s enormous frame sidled over to create an artificial paddock wall.
  26. bandy
    discuss lightly
    Down in Florida, Hialeah officials began talking of $100,000 for a match on George Washington’s birthday. Arlington Park in Chicago also bandied around the idea.
  27. unsullied
    free from blemishes
    “Why he was started anyway is not known, but it seems a shame that his unbeaten record for the eastern invasion was not kept unsullied.”
  28. self-effacing
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
    A dead ringer for actor Jimmy Stewart, Vanderbilt was a gangly twenty-five-year-old whose gentle, self-effacing manner belied his fabulous wealth.
  29. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
    Dubbed the nation’s most eligible bachelor, Vanderbilt eschewed the debauchery that would have tempted other men fresh out of their teens and into a bottomless bank account.
  30. rescind
    cancel officially
    Vanderbilt worked on Riddle for a few days to get the owner to rescind his boycott of Pimlico and bring his colt back to meet Seabiscuit.
  31. respite
    a pause from doing something
    Even the jaded horsemen would take a respite from their labors to see him, eating their breakfasts outdoors on the benches near the siding.
  32. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    As he careened left, Pollard must have heard the hard irregular pounding of Half Time’s forehooves as his jockey, standing bolt upright in panic, sawed on the reins, trying to back his horse out of the way before Exhibit crashed into him.
  33. sobriquet
    a familiar name for a person
    He had nicknamed a particularly tyrannical, humorless, and rosy steward “Pink Whiskers,” a sobriquet that was soon used by all the jockeys.
  34. phalanx
    any closely ranked crowd of people
    Around him, close enough to touch, was a dense phalanx of horses moving at terrific speed
  35. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
    Jockeys say there is a small, bright sound when hooves clip against each other, a cheery portent of the wreck that is likely to follow.
  36. straggle
    wander from a direct or straight course
    Seabiscuit came out late, only to be bumped by a straggling horse to his outside.
  37. imbibe
    take in liquids
    Pollard had always been, like virtually everyone else at the track, a social drinker, imbibing just enough to be happy and noisy on weekend outings with other jockeys but not enough to become dependent.
  38. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
    He laid out all of Seabiscuit’s predilections and weaknesses in great detail.
  39. wan
    pale, as of a person's complexion
    Pollard, wan and frail, sat in a wheelchair and waited for them.
  40. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    The field was in disarray behind him, dropping back in an undulating mass.
Created on Wed May 06 13:41:15 EDT 2015 (updated Wed Sep 05 16:10:52 EDT 2018)

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