The Turtle of Oman: List 2

by Naomi Shihab Nye
When eight-year-old Aref Al-Amri is told that his family will move halfway around the world from Muscat, Oman to Ann Arbor, Michigan, he refuses to pack, until his grandfather helps to create memories that can be carried into a new life.

This list covers "Get Me Out of Here"–"One More Star."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
40 words 88 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. distinctive
    of a feature that helps to identify a person or thing
    Aref could hear the jeep even before he saw it, since the engine was very loud with a distinctive grumbling sound.
  2. compact
    closely and firmly united or packed together
    The sand felt compact, easy to walk on.
  3. aloft
    high up in or into the air
    Farther out, some bigger birds, maybe flesh-footed shearwaters, held their mighty wings aloft and coasted.
  4. delicate
    exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing
    The sky loomed with a few delicate lines of wavery cloud, one under the other.
  5. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    A cluster of sandpipers scuttled away from him.
  6. rove
    move about aimlessly or without any destination
    People attached thick candles to the backs of large turtles. I guess they stuck them on with melting wax, then they released the turtles to roam around in their gardens and patios. So at night the wandering turtles became roving lamps carrying little lights around.
  7. receptacle
    a container that is used to put or keep things in
    He picked it up and said he would throw it away. He veered off toward a big trash receptacle.
  8. sleek
    designed to offer the least resistance while moving through air
    Far on the horizon, a sleek cruising ship with many windows lining its sides drifted silently.
  9. plover
    a small shorebird with a straight bill and large wings
    Possible Birds You Might See
    1. You might see Little Ringed Plovers dipping.
    2. Little Green Bee-eaters swooping.
    3. Pipits pipitting.
    4. Skylarks soaring.
  10. heron
    a gray or white wading bird with long neck and long legs
    Storks, spoonbills, herons, egrets, pelicans, grebes, ostriches, saying, “Hi Everybody.”
  11. barnacle
    marine crustacean with feathery food-catching appendages
    Sulima found a small hammer with a loose head and they tried to smash the barnacles off the coin to see if it was valuable.
  12. dusky
    having a dim hue
    The sky softened from bright blue to dusky darker blue. It looked as if a rainstorm might be coming.
  13. braised
    cooked by browning in fat and then simmering
    They ate braised cabbage and roasted potatoes and fish from the almost bare freezer.
  14. kerosene
    a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel
    He really remembered the days before electricity came to Oman, when everything was lit by kerosene lamps or tiny bulbs run by generators or candles in cups.
  15. deliberately
    in a careful unhurried manner
    He plucked a banana from the fruit bowl and peeled it slowly and deliberately, as if it were the last, most important banana in the world.
  16. expedition
    a journey taken for pleasure
    Sidi laughed and said, “It is always fun to have an expedition, no?” Now he turned left toward the brown hills and mountains and the white ribbon of highway heading out of the city.
  17. lumber
    move heavily or clumsily
    A giant oil tanker truck lumbered past them going in the other direction, making a huge roaring sound.
  18. falafel
    fried croquette of mashed chickpeas and spices
    They passed gas stations, and a falafel restaurant, and a store for furniture and lamps.
  19. plume
    anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness
    “What’s that smoke over there?” asked Aref. Large plumes floated over a distant slope.
  20. equestrian
    of or relating to or featuring horseback riding
    Sulima took horseback riding lessons at the Muscat Equestrian School and Aref had gone with her parents once, to observe a special display of proud Arabian horses (wearing flower necklaces and headdresses) doing tricks and jumps.
  21. mosque
    a Muslim place of worship that usually has a minaret
    In the distance loomed an old blue-tiled mosque with a minaret.
  22. minaret
    a slender tower with balconies, especially on a mosque
    In the distance loomed an old blue-tiled mosque with a minaret.
  23. meteorite
    a stony or metallic object from space that hits the earth
    Aref stared at his chunk of meteorite, which seemed very fresh despite being so old, and whispered, “Hello, outer space. Hello, faraway galaxies.”
  24. altitude
    elevation above sea level or above the earth's surface
    Aref noticed the jeep rising to a higher altitude, its nose tipping up, up.
  25. crane
    a long-necked wading bird
    Did you know that sometimes the father cranes sit on the nests just like the moms? They share the job. Have you ever heard a crane making wild trumpet sounds at dusk?
  26. agenda
    an organized plan for matters to be attended to
    Well, we’ll put that on our agenda. To come back here someday and hide in those tall reeds over there and wait for them.
  27. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    “This looks like the moon,” Sidi said, as he steered with mighty effort, turning the wheel hand over hand. Monsieur careened forward.
  28. caravan
    a procession traveling together in single file
    Aref wished they could talk to the man who was riding on the first camel, and ask him for directions, but the caravan was too far away. Another man who looked like a shepherd in a flapping cloak walked behind the line of camels.
  29. oasis
    a fertile tract in a desert
    Finally, when Aref was really starting to feel a little worried, the Night of a Thousand Stars camp appeared in the distance, with its loops of glittering white lights strung from posts and a few thin, deserty trees scattered around as if outlining an oasis.
  30. canopy
    a covering (usually of cloth) that shelters an area
    The Milky Way stretched and glittered like a massive white sparkling ribbon. It cast a softened glow across a great canopy of sky.
  31. maroon
    of dark brownish to purplish red
    An old red rug covered the floor, and some large maroon satin pillows sat stacked in the corner.
  32. pliant
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
    So Aref took off, making a big looping circle out into the pliant sand and looking back on the camp.
  33. fringe
    an ornamental border of short lengths of hanging threads
    A man they hadn’t seen before, wearing a leather jacket and red pants with fringes, was walking toward them with a giant falcon sitting on his shoulder.
  34. discipline
    develop behavior by instruction and practice
    Aref knew this was how a trainer disciplined a falcon—they both had to stay awake for a long time till the falcon took orders properly.
  35. destabilize
    make unsturdy, insecure, or less able to function smoothly
    He knew that even the loss of a single feather could destabilize a falcon—sometimes, at the bird hospital, a falcon who was missing a feather or two had to have some other feathers stuck or sewn back into its wings, so it could regain flying balance again.
  36. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Then with little murmurs, Jamal coaxed Fil-Fil onto his own arm, bowed to Sidi and Aref, and carried him to the side of the patio, to a falcon roost Aref hadn’t even noticed the night before.
  37. roost
    a place where birds or bats take shelter and rest
    He put the hood back on Fil-Fil’s head, and attached his leg to a large ring on the roost, with a clip-on leash.
  38. rafter
    one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
    More black-and-white birds darted down from the tent rafters and sailed along beside them.
  39. extract
    remove, usually with some force or effort
    Sidi reached into his deep dishdasha pocket, extracted a tight little roll of money and handed it over.
  40. hospitality
    kindness in welcoming guests or strangers
    Sidi reached into his deep dishdasha pocket, extracted a tight little roll of money and handed it over. “Here you go, with respect for your delicious food and hospitality! Alif Shukran.”
Created on Tue Jul 30 09:46:38 EDT 2024 (updated Wed Jul 31 10:32:18 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.