The Wild Robot Protects: Chapters 1–21

by Peter Brown
In this third book of the series, Roz, now in a new body, is back on her island, which is being threatened by a poison tide.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–21, Chapters 22–44, Chapters 45–80
35 words 585 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. formation
    an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit
    They flew in a perfect V formation, and leading the way was a graceful young goose.
  2. crest
    the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave
    Before long, they were standing at the crest of the ridge, facing a grassy hillside that sloped down to the ocean.
  3. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    Outside, the dome was surrounded by a lush garden of wildflowers and herbs and berry bushes.
  4. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    A cloud of dust billowed out the door as she tidied up the interior.
  5. canopy
    the uppermost layer of branches and foliage in a forest
    It was a bright, beautiful day, and sunlight streaked down through the canopy of leaves and branches.
  6. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    Among the sun- dappled flowers stood Brightbill and a female goose.
  7. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    Animals glared at the robot, and Fink growled, “You said we had nothing to worry about!”
  8. grave
    causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
    “We are going to help our friends. Seabirds, otters, fish, crabs, and all the other coastal creatures are in grave danger. They must be evacuated at once.”
  9. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Crabs scuttled down into the depths of the ocean.
  10. wade
    walk through relatively shallow water
    Night fell and the stars came out and there was Roz, wading through the shallows, her headlights turning from side to side as she warned the coastal creatures to leave.
  11. cascade
    rush down in big quantities
    Towering above the island was a tall, rugged mountain. Waterfalls cascaded from its ledges.
  12. sheer
    very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front
    In places, the mountainside had crumbled, leaving behind sheer cliffs.
  13. kelp
    large brown seaweeds having fluted leathery fronds
    The coastal waters were thick with a type of seaweed called kelp.
  14. algae
    primitive chlorophyll-containing aquatic organisms
    The poison tide might be similar to red tides, the harmful blooms of algae that can occur in the ocean.
  15. determination
    firmness of purpose
    She also felt determination. Roz was determined to make things better, and she started by calling for an emergency meeting.
  16. lumber
    move heavily or clumsily
    Gale and Swooper fluttered down from the sky. Nettle and Thorn lumbered across a meadow.
  17. dredge
    remove with or as with a power shovel
    Dredge the bottom of every pond. Make them as deep as you can!
  18. divert
    send on a course different from the planned or intended one
    Trenches were carved into the ground, diverting water from the river to the many deep pits that had been dug.
  19. plume
    anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness
    Plumes of smoke billowed up to the clouds.
  20. diminish
    decrease in size, extent, or range
    At last, rain. A drizzle, not a downpour. Very slowly, the blaze diminished.
  21. wisp
    a thin tuft, piece, or amount of something
    Hours after the wildfire had ignited, the worst was over, but for days afterward, wisps of smoke continued rising from the ashes.
  22. gaggle
    a flock of geese
    Before long, a whole gaggle of geese had joined their leader, committed to staying with him, no matter what.
  23. grueling
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
    For generations, through grueling journeys and harsh weather, their flock had been united.
  24. inspire
    serve as the inciting cause of
    The sight of those five geese flying away from the island inspired other birds to do the same.
  25. foliage
    the collective amount of leaves of one or more plants
    Roz marched over to see what all the fuss was about, and as she went, she began to hear squeaking and splashing, and through the foliage she caught glimpses of otters leaping off the beaver dam and into the water.
  26. stubborn
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    She glared at her husband and said, “Remember how you asked me to point out when you’re being stubborn and rude? Well, you’re being stubborn and rude!”
  27. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    I grasped at the muddy ground, but the sides were steep and slippery, and I just kept sinking. I could not believe how deep it was.
  28. submerged
    beneath the surface of the water
    She kept stepping down, and more of her body disappeared into the poison tide until she was completely submerged.
  29. eerie
    inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening
    Her headlights lit up the water, casting an eerie glow on the surrounding rocks. It was a frightening scene, and the goose felt a flicker of panic.
  30. overwhelm
    overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
    Overwhelmed by his feelings, he dunked his head in the water to cool off, and when he lifted it back up, he felt a little better.
  31. frail
    physically weak
    They looked tired, frail, nervous.
  32. recede
    pull back or move away or backward
    Occasionally, the clouds receded, and she could briefly see the surface just overhead. Then the poison tide came rushing back, and she was surrounded by dust once again.
  33. frond
    compound leaf of a fern or palm or cycad
    There were no schools of fish or colonies of crabs or fronds of seaweed.
  34. ponder
    reflect deeply on a subject
    The robot was so busy pondering these ideas that she was slow to notice the changes happening around her.
  35. devastation
    the state of being decayed or destroyed
    This place was filled with life. After witnessing so much devastation, it was a relief to see a healthy, bustling patch of water.
Created on Wed Aug 28 09:33:08 EDT 2024 (updated Thu Aug 29 13:17:55 EDT 2024)

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