Vocabulary from
Fever 1793
Rouse – verb
Definition: to stir up or excite; to cause to
awake from sleep.
“I woke to the sound of a mosquito whining in
my left ear and my mother screeching in the
right.
‘Rouse yourself this instant!’”
Pg. 1
Rouse
Drone – verb
Definition: To talk persistently in a dull and
monotonous voice.
“Her voice droned on and on as she
clattered down the stairs.”
Pg. 2
Drone
Hearth – noun
Definition: the brick, stone or concrete floor
area of the fireplace.
“She dished up a bowl of oatmeal from a
pot that hung by the side of the hearth…”
Pg. 9
Disreputable – adjective
Definition: not respected or trusted by
most people, not having a good
reputation.
“I tied a disreputable straw hat atop the
cap, one I could never wear in the
street…before I ran outside.
Pg. 11
Disreputable
Miasma – noun
Definition: a heavy cloud of unhealthy or
unpleasant air.
“It’s the source of a deadly miasma, a foul
stench, indeed.”
Pg. 19
Miasma
Pleurisy – noun
Definition: a serious and painful disease of
the lungs.
“It could have been a sudden pleurisy or a
weak heart.”
Pg. 26
Pleurisy
Impudence – noun
Definition: rudeness, boldness
“He snatched an apple from my basket and
took a bite. The impudence.”
Impudence
Condolence – noun
Definition – a expression of sympathy or
sadness, especially when someone is
suffering after the death of a loved one.
“He expressed his condolences on the
death of my friend…”
Pg. 35
Condolence
Quarantine – verb
Definition: to keep a person or animal away
from others in order to prevent the spread
of disease.
“The mayor should quarantine them on Hog
Island for a few weeks and the fever
would pass.”
Pg. 38
Quarantine
Idle – verb
Definition: to spend time doing nothing or doing
nothing useful.
Matilda’s mother hates it when Matilda idles
around the house.
“idleness” – noun – state of being idle.
Pg. 42
Also an adjective – meaning – not working.
Idle
Vulgar – adjective
Definition: offensive, rude, or indecent.
“Try this on and don’t be vulgar,” Mother
said.”
Pg. 44
Vulgar
Din – noun
Definition: a loud sound, a combination of
discordant sounds.
“…The church bells of Philadelphia tolled
without cease. Guns were fired on the
street corners…The din was maddening.”
Pg. 54
Din
Vehemently – adverb
Definition: loudly, insistently and angrily.
“Grandfather sped up. ‘Sir, I protest most
vehemently!’”
Pg. 61
Vehemently
Cajole – verb
Definition: to persuade or coax, often with
flattery and promises.
“No amount of cajoling would change her
mind.”
Pg. 74
Cajole
Odiferous – adjective
Definition: smelly, having a strong odor.
“And now I am going to get some sleep
before our coachman delivers us unto the
joys of the Ludington family barnyard and
their odiferous pigs.”
Pg. 80
Odiferous
Harried – adjective
Definition: beset by problems; stressed by
many problems.
“’Thank you,’ I told the harried woman.”
Pg. 185
Harried
Scurrilous – adjective
Definition: vulgar and evil, containing
vulgar language or obscenities, immoral
“’He’s a scurrilous dog, that man,’ she
muttered.”
Pg. 194
Scurrilous
Ominous – adjective
Definition: suggesting or hinting that
something bad will happen in the future.
“On the fourth day…an ominous silence
pressed in on the room as the fever
penetrated deeper.”
Pg. 204
Ominous
Frail – adjective
Definition: very weak, easily damaged or
destroyed.
“The boys turned frail, their skin ashen and
cheeks sinking, as their bodies burned up
under the infection.”
Pg. 204
Frail
Fetid – adjective
Definition: having a strong, offensive smell.
“The fetid stench that had hung over the
city for weeks was gone, replaced with
brittle, pure air.”
Pg. 210
Fetid