Mexikid: Chapters 17–20

by Pedro Martín
In this graphic memoir Pedro/Peter Martín recounts the summer when his big family took a road trip to Mexico to tighten loose ends and bring his legendary, bandit-fighting Abuelito to live with them in California.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–20
40 words 7 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mantle
    the cloak as a symbol of authority
    C'mon, you're his grandson. Why don't you take up the hero's mantle and go see if you can help.
  2. scamper
    run or move about quickly or lightly
    We all scampered up the ladder to the top of the motorhome to see what was going on.
  3. stealthy
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    How can he be Batman- stealthy, yet so hard of hearing?
  4. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Hugo may have been right. I needed to coax the stories out of Abuelito.
  5. respectable
    deserving of esteem
    Abuelito turned the page and drew some very dead rabbits. The level of detail was very respectable.
  6. prey
    animal hunted or caught for food
    Abuelito will tell you, like he told me, if you're going to hunt, you have to make sure you kill your prey right away!
  7. precise
    sharply exact or accurate or delimited
    You need to be very precise with a slingshot. Animals should never suffer.
  8. genuinely
    in accordance with truth or fact or reality
    I forgot that we still needed to cross back over the border. I was genuinely afraid.
  9. bribe
    make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
    If I teach you that trick, I'll need to teach you how to bribe a guard too. We don't have time right now.
  10. whirlwind
    a confused movement or rush
    The night was a whirlwind of food and music...again. (Those whirlwinds seemed to follow our people everywhere.)
  11. avocado
    a pear-shaped tropical fruit with green or blackish skin
    See this avocado? It has this old, wrinkly skin that has seen many days in te hot sun and the cold rain.
  12. nurture
    help develop; help grow
    And inside is the soft, beautiful flesh. This is the goodness that the tough skin had to protect and nurture so that one day it could be shared.
  13. legacy
    a gift of personal property by will
    That's what you are. The legacy of Abuelito's life. You are the product of all his heartbreak and happiness. And now Abuelito can sit back and watch the fruit of all his struggles and joys flourish in this new land!
  14. flourish
    make steady progress
    That's what you are. The legacy of Abuelito's life. You are the product of all his heartbreak and happiness. And now Abuelito can sit back and watch the fruit of all his struggles and joys flourish in this new land!
  15. symbolize
    express indirectly by an image, form, or model
    Wait! Does everything symbolize something?! What does this bell pepper symbolize? Is it greatness?
  16. guacamole
    a dip made of mashed avocado
    Now take the guacamole of life and the cut-up peppers of greatness to the table.
  17. sequel
    something that follows something else
    Wow! I was Abuelito's legacy. I didn't get that until now. My life was a kind of a continuation of his. I was like a sequel.
  18. exception
    an instance that does not conform to a rule
    Those last few hours of any drive always seemed extra long. This was no exception. We were all so tired we hardly had enough energy to open our eyes to insult each other.
  19. ranger
    an official responsible for managing an area of forest
    Yes! The rangers can help! They do this all the time. They help injured animals! It's their job!
  20. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    As if it knew we were getting close to the ranger station, the deer started thrashing around again.
  21. sway
    move back and forth
    The motorhome started to sway violently as I headed back to where the deer was.
  22. remedy
    a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieves pain
    My mom grew up like my dad. Super poor. She had to learn all kinds of folk remedies in order to survive. I knew she would be able to help.
  23. status
    the condition or someone or something at a particular time
    For some reason, I couldn't let it go. I kept running up and down the length of the motorhome yelling reports on the deer's status!
  24. amputate
    remove surgically
    You amputate that broken hoof...If the hoof is completely broken like you say, you should be able to cut if off above the break.
  25. refrain
    resist doing something
    Everything that needed to be said was said. Even Adam and Alex refrained from joking about it.
  26. pledge
    a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something
    It tuned out, eating the deer was Apá's main reason for stopping to pick it up in the first place. He was fulfilling his Mexican Dad pledge to take advantage of all that is free and cheap in the world.
  27. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    I tried to pry the covers off the battery to check the water levels, but I couldn't.
  28. scalpel
    a thin straight surgical knife
    That stupid machete was sharp?
    Super sharp, like a surgeon's scalpel!
  29. irrigation
    the act of supplying dry land with water by artificial means
    Look! An irrigation pipe!
  30. fiesta
    a public celebration or party
    The next night, family came from all over town to welcome Abuelito to his new home with a special fiesta!
  31. trauma
    an emotional wound or shock having long-lasting effects
    Bonus! Here's a recipe you can use to turn a tragic childhood trauma into a delicious celebration!
  32. region
    a large indefinite location on the surface of the Earth
    Birria is a specialty dish from Jalisco (where we just were). Lots of different regions say that theirs is the best.
  33. suburban
    relating to or characteristic of or situated in suburbs
    If you've ever come across a deer...say, in your travels, butcher it in your suburban backyard and invite the neighbor cats to lap up the spilled blood.
  34. marinade
    mixture of vinegar, oil, and seasoning for soaking foods
    My Apá likes to soak the meat in a special marinade made of enchilada sauce, tomatoes, bitter oranges, garlic, onions, apple cider vinegar, salt...other things...and love! Lots and lots of love.
  35. enchilada
    filled tortilla baked in chili-seasoned tomato sauce
    My Apá likes to soak the meat in a special marinade made of enchilada sauce, tomatoes, bitter oranges, garlic, onions, apple cider vinegar, salt...other things...and love! Lots and lots of love.
  36. consomme
    a clear soup usually made with beef, veal, or chicken
    After four hours of gentle cooking, the meat is unwrapped, chopped up, and served with a delicious consomme made from its own juices.
  37. stew
    food prepared by slowly cooking meat or fish with vegetables
    Some people don't think you can taste the hot tears of an angry child when they're cooked into a Mexican stew, but I can.
  38. crisis
    an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
    This kind of crisis happened all the time in Abuelito's day. He probably thought you were olde enough to handle it.
  39. churn
    be agitated
    Suddenly and without warning, all the sadness that was living in my chest started to churn and mix itself up with all the happiness I was feeling at this moment, and it wanted to come out!
  40. unbeknownst
    occurring or existing without the knowledge of
    I'm now the proud housemate of a nearly ninety-year old Revolutionary-War-era grandfather who enjoys eating half-bananas in my living room while spinning tales of Mexican mule-based adventures. And who, unbeknownst to him, is about to learn waaaay too much about Star Wars!
Created on Mon Apr 01 10:33:29 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Apr 02 11:35:36 EDT 2024)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.