Vocabulary from Chapter 1

Study Notes

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

Prairie: a flat grassland, steppe, open plain
Lumber: prepared timber
Rusty cookstove: a stove with a reddish-brown discoloration (rust)
Garret: an attic room (at the top of a house)
Cellar: a basement room
Whirlwind: a violent wind
To crush: to break or pulverize
Trapdoor: a hidden door
Ladder: a set of steps
In the midst of: in the middle of or surrounded by
To plough: to plow or till the ground
To blister the paint: to damage the paint, perhaps by heat or friction
To wash away: to remove or eliminate
Sparkle: to shine brightly
Left them a sober gray: to leave a quiet grey impression;
To be startled by: to be surprised or shocked
Merry: joyful and cheerful
To laugh at (smth./smb): to laugh at something or someone
To twinkle: to emit and/or reflect light as seen by the eye
Wee nose: a small nose
Anxiously: showing or feeling worry or unease
Wail of the wind a mournful sound of wind
To bow in waves: to bend like waves in the wind
Sharp whistling: a sharply piercing sound (often from the wind)
Ripple: a small, uneven wave or disturbance
Look after the stock: to care for livestock or other material things
Shed: a small outbuilding for farm supplies
To drop: to let go of something
One glance told her of the danger close at hand: A quick view revealed the nearby danger
To climb down/up: to go down or up
A great shriek from the wind: a loud scream or cry from the wind
She lost her footing: She stumbled
Feather: A bird's feather
To howl horribly: to make a very loud and frightening sound
To tip badly: to lean or fall over
To rock: to move back and forth
Cradle: a cradle or rocking chair
To creep: to move along slowly and quietly
To drag: to pull or haul something along
Get over a fright: to overcome a fear
Deaf: unable to hear
To be dashed to pieces: to break into many pieces