Ashleigh Saulmon
English 8-4
2/25/09
Vocab
VOCABULARY CHAPTERS 9-10
Dracula
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the
sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and
write what you think the bolded words mean on the lines provided.
1. “…the ravings of the sick were the secrets of God, and that if a nurse through her vocation
should hear them, she should respect her trust.”
-Vocation means occupation or profession.
2. “I have an appetite like a cormorant, am full of life and sleep well.”
-Cormorant is a sloppy animal, such as a pig.
3. “…at last he fell into a paroxysm which exhausted him so that he swooned into a sort of
coma.”
-Paroxysm means convulsion or spasm.
4. “I told her I should ask you to see her, and though she demurred at first,… she finally
consented.
-Demurred means to object or protest.
5. “…Lucy was left with me. We went into her boudoir, and till we got there her gaiety
remained…”
-Boudoir is a bedroom or sleeping area.
6. “But you do not find the good husbandman dig up his planted corn to see if he grow; that is
Ashleigh Saulmon
English 8-4
2/25/09
Vocab
for the children who play at husbandry, and not for those who take it as of work for their
life.”
-Husbandry means agriculture or farming.
7. “Van Helsing’s face grew set as marble, and his eyebrows converged till they almost touched
over his nose.”
-Converged means to touch or meet.
8. “…but now, as he took in his stalwart proportions and recognized the strong young
manhood which seemed to emanate from him, his eyes gleamed.”
-Stalwart means brawny or sturdy.
9. “There was no sign of disease, but the edges were white and worn-looking, as if by some
trituration.”
-Trituration means to wear away or erosion.
10. “Ah, not if you were like me—if sleep was to you a presage of horror!”
-Presage means to predict or indicate.
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions
C___ 1. vocation
A. voiced opposition; objected
F___ 2. cormorant
B. a sudden outburst of emotion or action
B___ 3. paroxysm
C. an occupation, especially one for which a person is suited
A___ 4. demurred
D. came together from different directions; met
Ashleigh Saulmon
English 8-4
2/25/09
Vocab
J___ 5. boudoir
E. bruising or crushing
H___ 6. husbandry
F. a greedy, rapacious person
D___ 7. converged
G. an indication or warning of a future occurrence; an omen
I___ 8. stalwart
H. the practice of growing crops, breeding and raising livestock
E___ 9. trituration
I. having or marked by imposing physical strength
G___ 10. presage
J. a woman's private sitting room, dressing room, or bedroom