The Ice Cream Machine: Story III

by Adam Rubin
In this collection, all six stories feature an ice cream machine with different characters and situations, from a five-armed robot to an alien space lab.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Story I, Story II, Story III, Story IV, Story V, Story VI
40 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. calibrate
    make fine adjustments for optimal measuring
    The beam was reflected through the window by a series of mirrors that had been carefully calibrated and precisely positioned by Rhonda, with the help of a very tall ladder and some complex astronomical diagrams.
  2. tousle
    disarrange or rumple; dishevel
    When it reached her eyes, she blinked awake, yawned, tousled her hair with both hands, and plucked a dog-eared notebook from the nightstand.
  3. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    On her desk was a formidable model airplane collection and above that, a vanity mirror, though it had been papered over long ago with sheaves of colored-pencil schematics.
  4. vanity
    low table with a mirror where one sits while dressing
    On her desk was a formidable model airplane collection and above that, a vanity mirror, though it had been papered over long ago with sheaves of colored-pencil schematics.
  5. schematic
    diagram of an electrical or mechanical system
    On her desk was a formidable model airplane collection and above that, a vanity mirror, though it had been papered over long ago with sheaves of colored-pencil schematics.
  6. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
    Rhonda grudgingly bent down to pull on her boots manually. She hadn’t invented a machine for that part yet.
  7. spindly
    long, thin, and often weak or fragile
    He was a tall and spindly man, with strong, calloused hands; a large, onion-shaped head; and long, delicate eyelashes.
  8. equilibrium
    a sensory system that registers the orientation of the head
    His real name was Reginald, but everyone called him Swirly on account of his unusual sense of equilibrium.
  9. hamper
    prevent the progress or free movement of
    The condition didn’t hamper his farmwork too much, but, sadly, he’d had to give up on his dream of learning to juggle.
  10. gaggle
    a flock of geese
    A gaggle of happy chickens followed his every step, clucking and pecking through the grass for worms.
  11. frustrating
    discouraging by hindering
    It was very frustrating for Rhonda. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t quite understand her fellow human beings.
  12. concise
    expressing much in few words
    Even the most complicated equations made perfect sense to her. Everything was right there on the page, clear and concise.
  13. impediment
    something immaterial that interferes with action or progress
    She was the one with a slight speech impediment.
  14. ingenious
    showing inventiveness and skill
    Another one of Rhonda’s ingenious inventions, the machine looked like a sideways ladder that had sprouted six arms.
  15. torrent
    a violently fast stream of water or other liquid
    As Swirly squeezed the udder of one cow, torrents of milk sprayed into the metal buckets below all three.
  16. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    “Moooooo,” said Blossom, intrigued.
    “Moo!” said Bubbles, delighted.
  17. fulcrum
    the pivot about which a lever turns
    “The weight of the water as it drips into the coffee pot could trigger a counterbalance that acts as a fulcrum for—”
  18. correspondence
    communication by the exchange of letters
    He had enrolled her in correspondence courses designed for students twice her age. The local elementary school had kicked her out when she started dismantling the furniture to build catapults.
  19. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
    Rhonda was a mechanical prodigy. She had started taking things apart when she was three. She had built her first machine by the time she was four.
  20. solder
    join or fuse with an alloy
    “I’ll check the circuit breaker.” Rhonda hopped up from her chair. “Dang, this would be the perfect project for my new soldering iron.”
  21. insulate
    surround with material to protect from heat, cold, or noise
    It was a big insulated metal chest filled with giant blocks of solid ice.
  22. chisel
    an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
    She grabbed a turkey leg to use as a mallet for her fish chisel.
  23. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    He returned his attention to the carton and managed to pry off the lid.
  24. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    Every time Rhonda had ventured into the attic, the squirrels had chased her off before she could get a good look around.
  25. scrawl
    write carelessly
    She stepped over piles and ducked under cobwebs, scanning the labels scrawled across the sides of the boxes: Blankets, Trophies, Photos.
  26. bric-a-brac
    small decorative objects
    Some seemed to be written in gibberish: Bric-a-Brac, Ham Radio, VHS.
  27. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
    She squeezed the Attacker Whacker tightly and scanned her path for surly squirrels.
  28. foothold
    a place that provides support for standing or climbing
    Still, one managed to get a foothold on Rhonda's helmet, and her vision was suddenly blocked by a swishing squirrel tail.
  29. intact
    undamaged in any way
    Luckily, she was wearing protective gear. Her whacker got snapped in half, but she checked all her limbs and they were still intact.
  30. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
    Rhonda brandished the broken whacker to shoo the squirrel from the yellow box and immediately recognized Swirly’s crazy, slanted handwriting: Ice Cream Machine.
  31. plumb
    exactly vertical
    Swirly stood up, straight as a plumb bob.
  32. sliver
    (figurative) a small or narrow piece or slice
    She could see a sliver of moon in the sky through the hole in the roof.
  33. auburn
    (of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown
    Swirly sat on the side of the bed and brushed an auburn curl from Rhonda’s forehead.
  34. bovine
    of or relating to or belonging to cattle
    Whatever the reason, she was dreaming of dancing cows.
    Harps strummed as Rhonda skipped through a meadow, arm in arm with her three bovine buddies.
  35. extract
    a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance
    Rhonda poured a pitcher of milk, sugar, and vanilla extract into the funnel end of the garden hose, which poked out the side of the machine.
  36. contraption
    a small mechanical device or tool
    He examined the aluminum tubing and the pump attached to the bicycle. “Just look at this contraption. You’re serving the ice cream the moment it’s frozen.”
  37. flurry
    a sudden and overwhelming outpouring or amount
    Swirly burst into the barn, with the chickens following close behind. A flurry of feathers filled the air.
  38. staggering
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
    I believe that this ice cream machine is a work of staggering genius.
  39. delectable
    extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
    The ice cream it makes is so fresh, so delectable—it must be shared with the world.
  40. prototype
    the first functional model of some new design or product
    The Cow to Cone machine had become a sensation, but the final version bore little resemblance to the jury-rigged prototype that Rhonda had constructed in the barn that spring.
Created on Tue Nov 28 16:04:06 EST 2023 (updated Wed Nov 29 15:04:01 EST 2023)

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