Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Before We Start
Handout 3
Name
Date
Hour
Vocabulary Definition List
The following list provides definitions for some of the more difficult words in the text.
Chapter I
dismal:
kin:
dull, unexciting
a relative
Chapter II
disturbance:
skiff:
oath:
ransomed:
noise, trouble
small flat-bottomed boat
a promise, a vow
paid for the return of
something or someone
Chapter III
widow:
a married woman whose husband is dead
Chapter IV
quarry:
counterfeit:
an open excavation, usually for digging out stone for building
fake, an imitation
Chapter V
reform:
to change, or turn away from bad habits of the past
Chapter VI
delirium:
dozed:
mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted
attention, usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations
slipped into a light sleep
Chapter VII
ammunition:
meal:
the metal projectiles for a gun or cannon of some kind
a coarse, ground powder from grains used in making breads
Chapter VIII
carcass:
abolitionist:
a dead body
an activist who opposed slavery and was therefore hated by the slave
owners, who viewed such people as threats to their existence
Chapter IX
cavern:
calico:
a large cave of unknown proportions
an inexpensive cotton fabric with designs printed on it
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
tallow:
gourd:
vials:
a greasy rendered fat that was often used to make candles
a vegetable that looks like squash but is hollow inside and can be dried
and used as a container
small bottles often used to hold medicine or herbs and spices
Chapter X
bragged:
boasted
Chapter XI
lynched:
hanged without a trial, usually by a mob
Chapter XII
thicket:
water-fowl:
stateroom:
a grouping of low growing plants closely grown together that provides
natural shelter for animals
birds that live on the water, such as ducks or geese
fancy cabin on a boat where passengers keep their things and sleep at
night during a long journey
Chapter XIII
hustled:
captain:
mate:
pilot:
deckhand:
freight:
hurried, or hurried something along
commanding officer on a boat or ship
second in command on a boat or ship
officer who handles navigation and charts the course for the boat or
ship
common crew man who handles the daily chores on a boat or ship
goods moved by ship, boat, train, truck, or airplane from one place to
another
Chapter XIV
spyglass:
a small handheld telescope
Chapter XV
snags:
monstrous:
quarrelsome:
humble:
tree or part of a tree stuck to the bottom of a river that can catch or
damage boats
huge, enormous
argumentative, annoying
to make humble in spirit or manner
Chapter XVI
conscience:
smallpox:
troublesome:
one’s sense of right and wrong
a contagious disease characterized by fever, vomiting, and skin eruptions
that often leave scars
difficult, burdensome
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Vocabulary Definition List
Before We Start
Handout 3, continued
channel:
sheering:
the bed where a natural stream of water runs or the deeper part of a
river, harbor, or strait
deviating from a course
Chapter XVII
parlor:
buckskin:
disposition:
a room used primarily for conversation and the reception or
entertainment of guests
a soft, pliable, usually suede-finished leather
a prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination; one’s temperamental makeup
Chapter XVIII
junketings:
aristocracy:
feud:
cavorting:
trips with frequent stops
a governing body or upper class usually made up of a hereditary nobility
a lasting conflict between families or clans usually having acts of violence
and revenge
leaping or prancing in a lively manner or engaging in extravagant
behavior
Chapter XIX
temperance:
humbugs:
moderation in or abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages
willfully false, deceptive, or insincere persons
Chapter XX
haughty:
troughs:
contrite:
proud or arrogant
long shallow basins that hold food, generally for feeding animals
sorrowful or repentant
Chapter XXI
soliloquy:
swindle:
an act or instance of talking to oneself; usually used in reference to a
speech in a play, wherein the speaker, alone on the stage, “thinks aloud”
to get money or property from fraud or dishonest means
Chapter XXII
acquit:
sheepish:
(legal term) to find someone not guilty
embarrassed
Chapter XXIII
principal:
greenhorns:
notion:
a leading performer or star
inexperienced or naive persons
a personal inclination or whim
Chapter XXIV
carpet-bags:
tanner:
soft-sided suitcases made from cloth resembling carpets
someone who tans leather
11
© 2006. Teacher’s Discovery®
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Vocabulary Definition List
Before We Start
Handout 3, continued
frauds:
imposters, cheaters, deceivers
Chapter XXV
yonder:
passel:
scoundrel:
over there
a large group or collection
a disreputable person; a villain, rascal
Chapter XXVI
pulpit:
eavesdrop:
raised platform where a minister stands to give his sermon.
to listen secretly
Chapter XXVII
undertaker:
meddled:
the person who prepares a corpse for burial
changed or altered something, interfered
Chapter XXVIII
flattery:
fetching:
untrue compliments, insincere praise
bringing something
Chapter XXIX
muleheaded:
lantern:
stubborn, unreasonable
a portable light, often using oil
Chapter XXX
cravats:
scarf-like ties worn by men; here being used to mean nooses
Chapter XXXI
fretted:
sass:
handbill:
worried, fidgeted
to talk back or be sarcastic with someone
a printed notice or advertisement on a single sheet of paper
Chapter XXXII
stile:
aground:
a step or set of steps for passing over a fence or wall
stuck on sand, rocks, or the shore with a boat
Chapter XXXIII
scandalous:
loafers:
rapscallions:
offensive to propriety or morality
lazy persons
rascals, ne’er-do-wells
Chapter XXXIV
vittles:
food
12
11
© 2006. Teacher’s Discovery®
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Vocabulary Definition List
Before We Start
Handout 3, continued
Chapter XXXV
moat:
a trench filled with water, usually found around a
fort or castle as part of its defenses
Chapter XXXVI
moral:
right, or the right thing to do
coaxing:
to draw, gain, or persuade by means of gentle
urging or flattery
Chapter XXXVII
ciphered it out: figured out
embers:
the smoldering remains of a fire
Chapter XXXVIII
coat of arms: a symbol representing a person or family
often used by aristocratic families in
Europe
mournful:
sorrowful
straw tick:
a fabric case filled with straw to make a mattress
stumped:
baffled, puzzled, perplexed
Chapter XXXIX
licking:
beating, thrashing
Chapter XL
stealthy:
slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character
Chapter XLI
singular:
extraordinary; remarkable
Chapter XLII
mooning:
brash:
reckon:
to be absent-minded or distracted
aggressively self-assertive, impudent
to suppose or think
Chapter the last
solemn:
serious, grave, somber
11
© 2006. Teacher’s Discovery®