Dragonfruit: Chapters 20-27

by Makiia Lucier
In this romantic fantasy, exile Hanalei returns home to Tamarind, and, with prince Samahtitamahenele, goes on a quest to find a seadragon egg that can heal Samahtitamahenele's mother.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-6, Chapters 7-12, Chapters 13-19, Chapters 20-27, Chapters 28-35
15 words 16 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. nonplussed
    filled with bewilderment
    Nonplussed, Rosamie looked down at the delicate embroidery and the spotless, billowing skirt.
  2. avert
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    One disaster averted. What else?
  3. en masse
    all together
    She sang a wish-you-well, a song from the old times, heard when the proas and camakaus sailed away en masse, for battle or to explore, to search for a better life.
  4. harried
    troubled persistently, especially with petty annoyances
    Liko hurried up to them, her expression harried.
  5. brazen
    not held back by conventional ideas of behavior
    Four dragoners slouched about, tossing cards and coins onto the table. Two others stood nearby with their fishing poles in the water.
    William brought his kandayo beside Sam’s. “That is brazen.”
  6. ruckus
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    The ruckus brought more dragoners to the railing.
  7. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    The seadragon did the same, frill undulating, and Hanalei laughed.
  8. rueful
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    His reply was rueful.
  9. malice
    the quality of threatening evil
    “It’s a lucky marking for a queen to have.”
    “Because of how big they can get?” William asked.
    That,” Sam agreed.
    “And because they can sense danger. Ill intent, malice.”
  10. haggard
    showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
    He looked haggard, black hair grown past his elbows, a full black beard.
  11. decrepit
    worn and broken down by hard use
    Hanalei and Sam headed around the decrepit pavilion, skirting pottery shards and deep pits in the dirt, the sort that would break an ankle if one did not take care.
  12. ire
    anger; irritability
    Sam’s ire grew with every step.
  13. gangly
    tall, thin, and awkward
    The older was about ten, gangly and smiling, and holding the hand of the younger, who looked to be three or four.
  14. beholden
    under a moral obligation to someone
    Sam said, “You said your debts made you beholden to bad people. You did bad things for them. What bad things?”
  15. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
    Chief Umere was older than Sam’s grandmother by a good twenty years. A stern, taciturn leader.
Created on Tue Jul 08 03:02:40 EDT 2025 (updated Thu Aug 21 17:31:40 EDT 2025)

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