Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn vocabulary
Words and definitions
Directions:
You are responsible for knowing the following vocabulary words and their
definitions.
Words and definitions:
Afoot
Developing or in the process of happening
I rushed to get to the stadium before tip-off, but when I finally got there the game was
already afoot and we were down by six points.
The new CEO is widely unpopular, and rumor has it that there is a movement afoot to
have him replaced at the next board meeting.
Besides a basketball game (or any sporting event) what are two things that could be
afoot?
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Air
To make public an utterance; to expose something to the public
The bickering between teammates has caused the morale of our team to plummet, and
finally the captains decided it was time for a meeting in which everyone could air their
grievances in the open so that we could finally move on and be a team again.
Besides trying to resolve conflicts amongst teammates, when else might it be appropriate
for someone to air their grievances?
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Blithe
Displaying kind or friendly feelings; light-hearted; joyous; glad; cheerful; free-spirited
The kids, excited for their first road trip, blithely filed into the minivan; their parents,
however, were much less cheerful.
Describe two reasons why you might be in a blithe mood.
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Brazen
Bold and shameless; disrespectful
Though there was video footage of him stealing the car from the dealership, the criminal
brazenly maintained that he was innocent and that they were trying to accuse him of
something he did not do.
What are two other brazen actions a person could perform?
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Calamity
A serious event causing distress or misfortune
Though Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans over seven years ago, there are still
people who are recovering from the calamity.
What is one other real-life event that could be described as a calamity?
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What is one event (not one that has already happened) that would be, in your opinion, a
calamity?
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Confound
To cause someone to become confused
Though I knew how to do the math that the problem was asking me to do, the way it was
worded confounded me and I couldn’t understand what the question was asking;
unfortunately, I received no credit for my answer.
Besides a math problem, what are two other things that could be described as
confounding?
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Contrite
Extremely apologetic
Though his drunk driving caused the accident that sent my sister to the hospital, he
doesn’t seem contrite at all. I hope the judge sentences him to the maximum possible
sentence.
What are two reasons why someone might feel contrite?
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Dissipation
Wasteful spending; carelessly spreading out or scattering
His new job brought him a $10,000 raise, yet his dissipation of his money on fancy
clothes and a new car (when his old one worked well enough) left him more in debt than
he was before.
Describe how a student who dissipates his time and energy would behave.
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Divination
A foretelling of the future by means of magic
Though I don’t believe in magic or fortune-telling, her predictions were so accurate that
I can’t help to think that the only way to explain it is that she has the power of divination.
What is an example from a movie where a character is able to predict the future through
the power of divination?
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Frivolous
Lacking in seriousness or importance; not worthy of attention
One complaint against corrupt governments is that they often arrest their opponents on
frivolous charges just so that they are imprisoned and can no longer actively oppose the
ruling government.
What are two examples of frivolous behaviors a child might perform?
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Haughty
Excessively proud or vain; arrogant
The haughty demeanor of the new student quickly drove away his peers and made it quite
difficult for him to make friends at his new school.
Describe two specific actions a haughty person might perform.
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Histrionic
Overly theatrical
While I thought the defendant was innocent, his lawyer’s histrionics were repulsive and
gimmicky, and I found it hard to reward the lawyer for his childish behavior.
What are two other situations where someone might logically partake in histrionic
behavior?
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Hues
Colors
The hues of my clothes always seem slightly different after each time they are run
through the washing machine. After a year or two, none of my clothes looks like it did
when I bought it.
What are two other items whose hues can change over time or due to some effect?
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Infernal
Relating to hell
I will never forget the night our barn burnt to the ground. Even now, I can picture in my
mind the infernal flames consuming our barn and leaving the entire structure a pile of
smoldering ashes.
Besides a burning building, what are two other things that could be described as infernal?
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Languid
Slow; sluggish; weak
With each passing day, it seems as though our cat becomes more languid and frail; I
imagine that she does not have too many more days to live.
Besides a sickness, name two other reasons why an animal or a person might be languid.
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Muse
To ponder
I was deeply absorbed in my musings about my college options, but those thoughts were
interrupted when my teacher called on me and I had to go back to paying attention.
Besides your future, what are two others things a person might spend a lot of time musing
about?
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Ponderous
Very heavy; unmanageable because of weight
After packing my entire bookcase into just a few boxes, I realized that the boxes would be
so ponderous that there was no way I could load them in my car without someone else’s
help.
Describe another event when you realizes something was more ponderous than you had
expected.
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Resolute
Characterized by a decided purpose
All I wanted was my parents’ permission to borrow the car tomorrow night, but I never
got a resolute answer from either of them, so now I don’t know if I’ll be able to meet up
with my friends or not.
Besides an answer, what is one other thing that could be resolute? Then, use it in an
example.
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Stealthy
Acting in a secretive and sneaky way
My brother thought he was being stealthy as he sneaked out of the house, but he woke up
my parents before he even made it out of his bedroom.
Describe two situations, besides sneaking out of the house, during which someone might
behavior stealthily.
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Temperance
Moderation of one’s thoughts and actions
While everyone else broke into tears upon hearing the news, my mom’s temperate
response reflected her maturity and level-headedness.
What are two other temperate actions a person could perform?
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Name: _________________________________
Hour: ___________ Date: _____________
Source: Most definitions from OED.com
Most example sentences based off of OED.com examples