Mid-Air: List 5

by Alicia D. Williams
In this novel in verse, Isaiah learns who he is as he grieves the death of one friend and tries to keep his relationship with another alive.

This list covers vocabulary from "The Fellas"–"Seen."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6
25 words 14 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. specimen
    an example regarded as typical of its class
    Curious eyes check me out like a specimen.
  2. sparse
    not dense or plentiful
    My sparse words are measured.
  3. clutch
    a pedal that engages a rotating shaft and driving mechanism
    My foot lets off the clutch. The mower jerks.
  4. hibernation
    the act of retiring into inactivity
    My mouth comes out of hibernation to flip
    his question back.
  5. dodge
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    That’s it? I scoot to the porch’s shady spot, dodging
    his question.
  6. awe
    an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
    Y’all did? says Grady in awe.
  7. draft
    draw up an outline or sketch for something
    In my mind, I draft a whole day’s worth of living that he’ll
    never get to read.
  8. incline
    an elevated geological formation
    Grady leads me through the woods, across a stream,
    over dead tree trunks, & up an incline. He on his bike.
  9. spoke
    a rod joining the hub of a wheel to the rim
    Me on Uncle V’s, which hasn’t been ridden in so long
    spiders spun webs through the spokes, making them look
    like rims.
  10. earn
    make money on some commercial or business transaction
    And Mama, adds BJ. He shakes the seed packet. We earn
    money, plus learn to grow food. And one day we gon’
    have our own farm. Ain’t that right, Zoom?
  11. spiel
    artful or slick talk used to persuade
    Grady gives his spiel of me being here for the summer.
  12. swat
    hit with quick blow
    I study the three letters. A fly buzzes in my face.
    I swat at it. Sweat runs down my back.
  13. pierce
    sound sharply or shrilly
    Shrieks pierce the air like we at a haunted house.
  14. hunch
    round one's back by bending forward
    A boy is hunched over, eagle ready, soon to swoop.
  15. bother
    take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
    I don’t bother to stay & watch.
  16. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    We trudge up the road. Him pulling the wagon.
  17. chump
    a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
    I don’t have the right words to recite to Kiana
    to not have her looking at me like I’m a chump.
  18. stiffen
    become rigid or more rigid
    She takes my camera in her hands, does her own
    scrolling until she spots a picture of purple toes.
    I stiffen.
  19. vitiligo
    skin condition characterized by patches of unpigmented skin
    She’s got vitiligo. Learned this from Dad’s photos.
  20. shutter
    a device on a camera that controls the exposure time
    My stomach flutters faster than
    my camera’s shutter speed.
  21. hypnotic
    attracting and holding interest as if by a spell
    From the lip of the boat, our lines bob on ripples
    enticing fish with their hypnotic dance.
  22. cicada
    stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings
    I sigh so loud it drowns out the cicadas.
  23. juggle
    deal with at the same time
    I juggle this for a while. I do blame someone else too.
  24. lore
    knowledge gained through tradition or anecdote
    That’s the revenge tree, she says. Lore has it
    this guy brought a girl here on Valentine’s Day
    to dump her. Now every Valentine’s, she comes back
    for blood. If you’re a guy, don’t be caught here
    on February fourteenth.
  25. tease
    mock or make fun of playfully
    Soon I’m telling her how I hid rock like a F minus
    all because I was teased by two jerks.
Created on Thu May 15 07:20:07 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 10 13:22:36 EDT 2025)

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