Warriors Don’t Cry
Chapter 1
Gyrate: move the hips back and forth
Crinoline slips: old-fashioned woman’s
undergarment
Lynch mob: large group of people who intend
on lynching (illegally hanging) someone
Decreed: officially giving a law
Defied: did not obey
Compelled: obligated
Dispatched: sent
Gun-toting: carried a gun
Maneuvered: moved with a plan
Spiriting: to carry off secretly
Turret: tower-like part of a building or tank
Mounted: got on
Rejection: said ‘no’
Profoundly: deep meaning
Intolerable: can’t stand it
Take stock: see what you have
Endowed: given
Unequivocally: clearly
Catapulted: move quickly and suddenly
Eternal: forever
Perplexed: confused
Ample: plenty
Astounding: surprising
Genuine: real
Sauntered: walked slowly and leisurely
Hatched: created, thought of
Contribution: participation,
Uproar: state of noisy and violent disturbance
Astonished: very surprised
Forceps: surgical tool used to pinch and pull
things
Convulsing: violent shaking
Last rites: religious ceremony given to someone
right before they die
Irrigate: water plants or crops
Indignant: disagreed
Coddle: to unnecessarily take care of someone
Chapter 2
Sepia-toned: brown colored
According: agreeing
Scowled: frowned
Primer: beginning experience
Five-and-dime: store where everything costs
either five or ten cents
Chided: scolded
Uppity: snobby, acted like you’re better than
others
Painstakingly: very carefully
Concessionaire: (here) man operating the
merry-go-round
Picaninny: (offensive) black child
Cherished: held dear
Dutch-girl quilts: kind of a quilt (blanket)
pattern
Spectacles: glasses
Regal: royal
Hostler: someone who takes care of horses
Dickering: to barter or trade
Erected: built
Quiver: small shakes
Plight: very unfortunate situation
Tablet given Moses: 10 Commandments
Mortgage: loan to pay for the house
Radical: extreme
“Made waves:” caused trouble
Revivals: brought something old back to life
Apprehension: uncertainty
Leered: a sexually suggestive smile
Pleaded: begged
Gulped: swallowed hard
Clasp: held onto tightly
“’cooperated’ with him:” had sexual relations
“special colored lady:” mistress
Hassled: harassed
Kowtow: submit like a slave or servant
Cordially: politely
Placating: to make peace by giving in
Aroma: smell
Grocer: someone who sells groceries
Ominous: threatening
Paralyzed: made unable to move
Cowered: shrank in fear
Chastising: scolded
Dingy: old and worn
Chorus: group of people in the background
Billowed: spread out in the wind
Beckoned: called or motioned for you to come
to someone
Humbly: not proud
Gone astray: done something bad
“behind bars wearing stripes:” be in jail
“wearing ropes around our necks:” be lynched
Manicured: well-kept and cut
Majestic: grand, beautifully imposing
Chapter 3
Hazardous: dangerous
Lapse: mistake or failure
Boasted: talked about something with too much
pride
Tolerable: can be endured
Salaries: money you make from a job
Redeem: get back
Distress: trouble
Liable: responsible
Prominent: important and famous
Stingy: provides only the minimum
Hedges: bushes
Emphatic: strongly expressed
Fend off: defend
Grilled: asked a lot of questions
Inquisition: formally asking questions
Chapter 4
Lecturing: long speech that is supposed to teach
something
Petite: small
Caravans: groups of cars that travel together
Extracurricular: non-academic
Dwindling: becoming smaller
Executed: killed, or taken care of
Meticulous: detailed
Attire: clothing
Taken aback: surprised
Testimony: speech stating someone’s beliefs or
what they saw
Conviction: decision that someone is guilty
Contemplation: thinking about something
Erect: rigid and upright
Agony: extreme pain
Chided: scolded
Chapter 5
Frenzy: chaos
Vile: evil
Closed ranks: stood or moved tightly together to prevent an attack
Predicament: problem
Peril: danger
Accosted: attacked
Chapter 6
Mused: thought about
Saturated: more than filled up
Dismally: negatively
Stalled: to cause to stop
Splinter groups: smaller groups of people who break off from a larger group
Brief: short
Pretense: make-believe, pretending
Blessing: act of asking God to favor someone
Honky-tonks: cheap, noisy dance hall
Feigned: faked
Nonchalant: indifferent
Snapshot: photograph
Chapter 7
Putty: very thick substance used to fill holes and
cracks
Humdrum: boring
Repercussions: consequences
Backlog: a lot to make up
Pertaining: having to do with
Brusquely: shortly and meanly
Tarry: linger, wait
Savoring: enjoying
Pristine: spotlessly clean
Gripes: complaints
Rumpus: noisy or violent disturbance
Quipped: spoke up
Parody: change something (like a performance)
just a little to make fun of something
Prolonged: to make longer
Chapter 8
Digest: break down (food or news)
Wimping out: being a coward
Suspend: stop something
Sagging: hanging down
Acquired: got
Intact: together, unbroken
Heated: angry
Groping: touching indiscriminately, or touching
inappropriately
Mississippi attitudes: extremely racist
Suitable: it’ll do, work
Welled up: tears coming to your eyes
Chapter 9
Accustomed: used to
Imposing: threatening
Moot: doesn’t matter
Gauntlet: challenge
Thwarted: prevented plans from happening
Remorseful: sorry
Mend: fix
Ball and chain: enslaved
Sheepskin: diploma
Chapter 10
Cavernous: cave-like
Treacherous: traitor, betraying
Ridicule: made fun of
Obscenities: curses, bad words
Brigade: group of people that are going to fight
Composure: presentation of yourself that everything is OK
Transfixed: focused on
Anteroom: waiting room
Ajar: slightly open
Chapter 11
Patrolmen: men who keep watch over a large
area to protect something
Subsiding: stopping
Rampage: chaotic violence
Siege: violently surrounding a building so no
one can get out
Curdle: turn into a solid
Articulate: speak clearly
Accentuate: brings notice to, compliments
Conducive: helpful
Side-burners: on the side
Vigilance: watching
Almanac: a yearly publication that has
information about events of the new year
Roving: wandering
Obstruction: something in the way of
something else
Cease and desist: to stop
Quash: to stop
Chapter 12
Menaces: threatens
Undermine: to injure or destroy by secretly
doing things
Revere: respect
Precise: exact
Distraught: very upset
Convoy: group of something traveling together
for protection
Breakneck speed: so fast your neck might break
Chapter 13
Cluster: small group
Convenient: easy access
Scathing: angry
Browbeat: to bully
Singed: slightly burnt
Unruly: opposite of calm, disobedient
En route: on the way
Clogged: stuck
Briskly: quickly
Round robin: changing partners or teams often
Respite: peace and calm
Bombardment: attack with a lot of weapons
Periodicals: magazines
Chapter 14
Bristled: became defensive
Catcalls: yelling sexual insults
Hurling: throwing violently
Tonic: medicine that gives you energy
Chipper: happy
Inflammatory: meant to make you angry
Defiant: not obeying
Hoopla: dramatic activities
Chapter 15
Disseminating: to spread widely
Falsehoods: lies
Incommunicado: not allowed to communicate with others
Blurted: spoke without thinking
Dither: trembling, vibration
Chapter 16
Hysterical: so upset they cannot stop or be
rational
Tormentor: someone who is mean to you
Mountains out of molehills: making a big deal
out of something small
Stunned: surprised
Fiasco: flop or joke
Retain: keep
Smug: confident in one’s superiority
Ineptness: incapable
Viciousness: extreme meanness
Snippet: small piece
Plodding: slow, heavy walking
Severity: seriousness
Hayseeds: seeds that grow into hay
Oddball: weird
Reverberated: to echo or resound
Belligerent: bullying
Optometrist: eye doctor
Medicated: taking medicine
Effigy: figure that represents someone
unpopular
Peepers: people who look without permission
Tainted: poisoned
Erosion: slowly wearing away
Chapter 17
Asphyxiate: suffocate
Staunch: stop
Moderate: in the middle
Avowed: promised
Objected: disagreed
Stone’s throw away: very close
Brooding: negative thinking about something
Mobile: on the move, moving
Retaliation: revenge
Lulled: comforted, made sleepy
False sense of security: felt safe, even though
you aren’t
Barrage: a bunch of things at once
Scalding: boiling hot
Generating: creating
Excruciating: extremely painful
Chapter 18
Concrete: solid
Rapid-fire: very fast
Ostracized: excluded and persecuted
Trampled: stomped on
Upheaval: uprising
Badger: annoy
Loathed: hated
Inquiries: questions
Furor: angry chaos
Enraptured: in love
Fatalistic: bound to happen
Clamming up: shut up
Encounter: random meeting
Withdrawn: not talking or participating
Polarized: at opposite sides
Adamant: sure
Heathens: people without religion
Benevolent: kind
Ante up: get more
Garbled: unclear
Contorted: bent out of normal shape
Festive: like a party
Skunk: bad smell
Trounced: beaten badly
Frivolity: not serious
Mind your p’s and q’s: behave
Fend: defend
Chapter 19
Lavish: rich, to give a lot of something
Ventured: attempt, try
Agility: how easily you move
Jittery: nervous
Mite: small bug
Chapter 20
Relished: enjoyed
Hi-fi: radio
Frantically: urgently while upset
Exposure: left out to the elements
Insidious: intended to confuse, lie or betray
Luring: getting someone to come with you with
bad intentions
Inhuman: not human, not acting like a human
being should
Sapping: slowly taking away
Overtures: first agreement towards negotiation,
relationships or agreement
Console: comfort someone
Annual: every year
Moisture: a little wetness
Bang her head against a stone wall: to do
something in vain
Balked: hesitated because you were afraid
Escalate: to grow bigger and more extreme
Blow her fuse: lose your temper, become angry
Melee: chaos
Brawl: fight
Jubilant: full of joy
Jovial: happy
Chapter 21
Eject: throw out
Stave off: defend
Embroiled: to bring into conflict
Lambasting: to beat or reprimand severely
Nuisance: annoyance
Browsed: slowly looked through
Fracas: noisy fight
Preening: fussing with your appearance
unnecessarily
Slouch: do not stand or sit straight up
Deluged: poured down
Coveted: be jealous of
Chapter 22
Indignities: events that disrespect you
Hoax: joke or lie intended to make others believe something that isn’t true
Liaison: relationship
Impasse: situation with no way out
Whimpered: made a frightened noise of pain
Ruckus: loud noises
Chapter 23
Marred: damaged to make imperfect
Clawing: violently grabbing at something/one
Chapter 24
Meek: humble, not thinking you are better than someone
Shunned: not accepted on purpose
Hodgepodge: mixed, random
Chapter 25
Vital: very important, necessary
Cloak and dagger game: spying, dramatic and
secretive romance
Traitor: someone who betrays someone/thing
Insure: guarantee
Biannual: twice a year
Forwardness: boldness, confident to say or do
things
Inconsolable: cannot be comforted
Indignant: disagreeing
Aroused: interested
Ostracism: purposefully leaving people out of a
group with the intention of hurting them
Gala: party celebrating an event or cause
Chapter 26
Vicarious: taking the place of something or someone, to act as a substitute
Immaculate: perfect, clean, free from evil
Emaciated: thin, undernourished, starving
Harping: constantly criticizing
Chapter 27
Caliber: degree, worth
Groundswell: big wave of approval or enthusiasm
Accolades: awards, honors
Roving: wandering
Chapter 28
Divine: holy
Elated: extremely excited
Snide: rude, mean
Pity pot: a mood where you feel very sorry for
yourself
Whim: impulse, sudden idea
Safe harbor: safe place
Quakers: type of Christianity who believe in
acceptance and moderation
Tenacious: holding together, tough
Unmitigated: not softened or lessoned
Gall: braveness, confidence
Marvel: a wonder
Enclave: small group or area surrounded by a
larger group or country, or, to isolate
Donned: wore
Garb: clothes
Putting: to go, move around
Marginal: not the main part, on the edge or
outside