Vocabulary from Snow Falling on Cedars Chapters 1 -5
Word: accused
Part of speech: adj, noun
Definition: adj: Charged with a crime, wrongdoing, fault, etc.
Noun: A person or persons charged in a court of law with a crime,
offence, etc.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 1
Sentence from the reading: The accused man, Kabuo Miyamoto, sat proudly
upright, as if trying to distance himself from his own
trial.
Word: skull
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The bony framework of the head, enclosing the brain and supporting the
face; the skeleton of the head.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 1
Sentence from the reading: Kabuo’s features were smooth and sharp-edged; his
hair has been cut close-to his skull so that the muscles
seemed to stand out.
Word: cedar trees
Part of speech: noun
Definition: Any of several old World, coniferous trees of the genus cedrus, having
wide, spreading branches.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 2
Sentence from the reading: Fences lined the careless roads which slid beneath the
shadows of the trees and past the fields.
Word: colleagues
Part of speech: noun
Definition: co-worker in a job. The singular noun means the person with whom one
works in a profession or a business.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 2
Sentence from the reading: Ishmael sat among his colleagues from out-of- town.
Word: shoulder
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the part of the human body between the neck and upper arm.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 2
Sentence from the reading: the left arm was cut off ten inches below the shoulder
joint.
Word: purity
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that
contaminates, pollutes, etc.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 3
Sentence from the reading: he hoped it would snow without stopping and bring to
the island the impossible winter purity.
Word: deputy.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a person who is appointed or authorized to act as a substitute for
another or others.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 3
Sentence from the reading: He told the court how his deputy, Abel Martinson, had
radioed in to say that Carl Heine’s fishing boat.
Word: sorrow
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the expression of grief, sadness.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 3
Sentence from the reading: he was uncertain afterwards what her eyes had meant
– punishment, sorrow, pain?
Word: youth
Part of speech: noun
Definition: characteristic of one who is young.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 3
Sentence from the reading: he remembered from his youth.
Word: to sigh
Part of speech: verb
Definition: emit a long, deep, audible breath expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or
a similar feeling.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 4
Sentence from the reading: sighed Art" We'd better do it, then. But we will do it on
step at a time".
Word: tidiness
Part of speech: noun
Definition: Orderly and neat in appearance or procedure.
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 4
Sentence from the reading: The scene worried Art, with its sense of extreme, toosilent tidiness.
Related word: tidy
word: awkwardness
part of speech: adjective
definition: difficult or causing difficulty to do something.
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 6
sentence from the reading: Nels Godmundsson, Kabuo Miyamoto’s lawyer, rose
with the slowness and careful awkwardness of old age to question Art Moran
word: fair hair
part of speech: noun
definition: light-colored hair, blonde hair
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 5
sentence from the reading: He banged his head, ‘whispered Abel
Martinson,pointing to a wound Art hadn’t noticed in Carl Heine’s fair hair.
word: stiffen
part of speech: verb
definition: to stop moving and become completely still especially because of fear,
anger, death, etc.
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 5
sentence from the reading: In the cold salt water he had stiffened quickly.
word: wound
part of speech: noun
definition: an injury that is caused when a knife, bullet, etc., cuts or breaks the skin.
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 5
sentence from the reading: ‘He banged his head,’ whispered Abel Martinson,
pointing to a wound Art hadn’t noticed in Carl Heine’s fair hair.
word: evidence
part of speech: noun
definition: something which shows that something else exists or is true.
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 7
sentence from the reading: Nels made his way to the evidence table, selected a
folder, and brought it to Art Moran.
Word : blind
Part of speech : adjective
Definition : not able to see
Page in Snow falling on cedars : page 6
Sentence from the reading : Nels was blind in his left eye .
Word : foggy
Part of speech : adjective
Page in Snow falling on cedars : page 6
Definition: [whoever wrote this forgot to put in the definition!] an adjective to
describe when the air is full of moisture, and, as a result, it is difficult to see
Sentence from the reading : You say it was foggy on the night of 15th September ?
word: to turn the engine over
part of speech: idiom
definition: when you turn the key and the engine goes around and makes noise
(Vroommmm
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 7
sentence from the reading: (“the batteries could still turn the engine over”)
word: absolutely
part of speech: adverb
definition: without exception, definitely,
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 7
sentence from the reading:
word: odd
part of speech: adjective
definition: differing in nature from what is ordinary, usual, or expected; strange or
unusual
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 7
sentence from the reading: (“did that strike you as odd,”)
word: bang
part of speech: verb
definition: to strike sharply, to knock, hit, or thrust vigorously often with a sharp
noise
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 8
sentence from the reading: The side of the holder was banged away to make room
for a D-6.
word: spare
part of speech: adjective
definition: kept as something extra that can be used if it is needed
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 8
sentence from the reading: ‘A spare D-8 battery.’ Said Nels. ‘Thank you. A D-8.
Would you turn now to item forty-two, sheriff? And read one more time for the
court?’
word:deceased
part of speech:noun
definition: a person who has diedpage in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 10
sentence from the reading: Is it possible the deceased hit his head on the side of
the boat as you were bringing him in?
word: drowned
part of speech: adjective
definition: die through submersion in and inhalation of water
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 10
sentence from the reading: That in doing this difficult job of bringing in a drowned
man of 235 pounds-is it possible, Sheriff Moran, that he banged his head sometime
after his death?
word:likely
part of speech: adjective
definition: such as well might happen or be true; probable
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 10
sentence from the reading: Possible. I guess it is - but not likely.
Word: defendant.
Part of speech: noun.
Definition: the person who in a trial who is accused of committing a crime.
Sentence from the reading: he made his way back to his seat at the defendant’s
table
Word: forehead
Part of speech: noun.
Definition: the part of the face above the eyes and below the hair.
Sentence from the reading: Ishmael Chambers put down the receiver and sat with
his forehead held in his hand
Word: trousers
Part of speech: noun
Definition: pants
Sentence from the reading: Ishmael slid a notepad into his pocket of his trousers
and left his office
word: come to the conclusion
part of speech: phrase
definition: to arrive at a decision or an understanding of something
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 11
sentence from the reading: He came to the conclusion that books were a good
thing.
word: acquire
part of speech: verb
definition: to get something, to gain something usually by your own effort
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 11
sentence from the reading: With his savings he acquired a printing press, a
camera, and a cold.
word: printing press
part of speech: phrase
definition: a machine that prints books, magazines, newspapers, etc…
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 11
sentence from the reading: With his savings he acquired a printing press, a
camera, and a cold.
word: lack
part of speech: noun
definition: deficiency or absence of something needed
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 12
sentence from the reading: His lack of trust in the world an exsoldiers lack of trust
was a thing that worried him all the time
word: Unsuspecting
part of speech: adjective
definition: inclined to believe or confide readly
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 13
sentence from the reading: The nets hung down like curtains in the dark water
and the salmon, unsuspecting, swam into them.
word: To approach
part of speech: verb
definition: the act of being near or close to something or someone
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 14
sentence from the reading: Ishmael Chambers knew, as he approached the men
gathered before the Susan Marie, that he was a not a part of his group, that
furthermore he made his living with words and was thus not trusted by them.
Word : Dock
Part of speech: noun
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 14
Sentence from the reading : It was not until they’d left the docks altogether and
turned onto Harbor street that Art Moran talked directly to Ishmael.
Word : Investigation
Part of speech: noun
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 15
Sentence from the reading : “Off the record “ ? said the sheriff . Ok, there’s an
investigation
Word : Coroner
Part of speech: noun
Page in Snow Falling on Cedars: 16
Sentence from the reading : The next witness was Horace Whaley, the Island
County Coroner.
word: Blood Vessel
part of speech: noun
definition:The narrow tubes through which your blood flows.
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: P. 16
sentence from the reading: :“A large number of blood vessels had broken in the
whites of the dead men’s eyes”
word: Overalls(noun)
part of speech: noun
definition: heavy cotton pants with a piece that covers your chest ,held up by two
bands that go over your shoulder.
page in Snow Falling on Cedars:P.16
sentence from the reading: “When the overalls were gone he began on the shirt
and cut away Carl Heine’s work trousers and underwear ran”
word:Precise
part of speech: adj.
definition:exact or correct in every detail
page in Snow Falling on Cedars:P.16
sentence from the reading: “…was to discover the precise cause of Carl’s death..”
word: To pump
part of speech: Verb
definition: Force (liquid, gas, etc.) to move in a specified direction by or as if by
means of a pump
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: page 17
sentence from the reading: “He placed his left hand over it and began to pump in
the manner of someone attempting to help a victim.”
word: To confirm
part of speech: Verb
definition: Establish the truth or correctness of (something
previously believed, suspected, or feared to be the case)
page in Snow Falling on Cedars: Page 21
sentence from the reading: “He asked Horace to confirm that there was nothing to
show.”
related words: Confirmation