Vocabulary in Night
Teacher Key
W o rd
Co ntex t Clues
Definitio n
Chapter 1
penury
He was poor and lived in utter penury.
Extreme poverty; d estitution
waiflike
His waiflike shyness made people smile.
Resembling a waif; apparently homeless,
starv ing, etc
Our convoy head ed toward the main
synagogue.
The building where a Jewish assembly or
congregation meets for religious
observance and instruction
Two German officers, I believe they were
Gestapo
The German secret police under Nazi rule
synagogue
Gestapo
annihilate
emigration
anti-Semitic
surreptitiously
Farce
Yes, we ev en doubted his resolved to
exterminate us. Annihilate an entire
people?
1. Destroy utterly; obliterate.
In those days it was still possible to buy
emigration certificates.
to leave on country or region to settle in
another
Anti-Semitic acts take place every day, in
the streets, on the trains. The Fascists
attack Jew ish stores, synagogues.
relating to or characterized by anti Semitism; hating Jews
Some of the Jew ish police surreptitiously
went to fill a few jugs.
Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or
stealthy means
As far as I'm concerned, this whole
business of deportation is nothing but a
big
farce
exaggerated comedy; something ridiculous
Chapter 2
inhibition
hermetically
pious
Some of the young let go of their A feeling that makes one self-conscious
inhibitions and, under the cover of and unable to act in a relaxed and natural
d arkness, caressed one another.
way.
The world had become a
hermetically sealed cattle car
sealed in a completely airtight way
He was a pious man who spent
most of his days and nights in the
house of study.
Devoutly religious
Chapter 3
notorious
*Kapos
convalescent
compulsory
camaraderie
Three SS officers surround ed the
notorious Dr. Mengele.
Famous or well known, typically for some
bad quality or d eed
The Kapos appeared. Each one
began to choose the men he liked .
A concentration camp inmate appointed
by the SS to be in charge of a work gang.
And Auschwitz is not a
convalescent home. It is a
concentration camp. (opposite)
Recovering from an illness or operation.
There were the showers, a
compulsory routine.
Required by law or a rule; obligatory
And now, here is a prayer, or
Mutual trust and friendship among people
rather a piece of advice: let there be
who spend a lot of time together
camaraderie among you.
Chapter 4
veritable
quarantine (noun)
sanctity
eluded
A veritable traffic of children
among homosexuals, I learned
later.
Used as an intensifier, often to qualify a
metaphor
You will stay with me for three
d ays in quarantine
A state, period, or place of isolation in
which people or animals that have been
exposed to infectious or contagious disease
are placed
And so we would sometimes hum
melodies ev oking the gentle waters
The state or quality of being holy, sacred ,
of the
or saintly
Jordan Riv er and the majestic
sanctity of Jerusalem
Evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or
When they deported me to
pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning
Germany, I e luded being sent to a
way
concentration camp
imprudent
manacled
It was imprudent of me to say
those few words to you, but I
knew that you would
not betray me
Not showing care for the consequences of
an action; rash
His manacled hands did not
tremble
A metal band, chain, or shackle for
fastening someone' s hands or ankles.
Chapter 5
lament
emaciated
The lament spread from wagon to
wagon. It was contagious. And
now hund red s
of cries rose at once
A poor emaciated Jew questioned
him anxiously, his voice trembling
crucible
All that mattered was to be far
from the block, far from the
crucible of death
sage
I'm neither a sage nor a just man. I
am not a
saint. (opposite again)
dysentery
Jew suffering from d y sent e r y . He
was skin and bones, his eyes were
d ead .
A passionate expression of grief.
bony: very thin especially from disease or
hunger or cold
A place or occasion of severe test or trial
A profoundly wise man
Infection of the intestines resulting in
severe diarrhea with the presence of blood
and mucus in the feces
Chapter 6
automatons
Like au tomatons. The SS were
running as well, weapons in hand
(soldiers march)
transcended
poignant
something that operates automatically in
response to instructions
Be or go beyond the range or limits of
(something abstract, typically a conceptual
field or d iv ision).
Next to him lay
his violin, trampled, an eerily
poignant little corpse.
Evoking a keen sense of sadness
or regret
Chapter 8
Indifference
Our minds numb with ind ifference.
Here or elsewhere, what did it
matter?
lack of concern, interest, or
feeling; apathy
Plaintive
plain t i v e v oice came from be hind
me: “Eliezer, my son . bring me . . .
a little coffee .
sad ; mournful
Chapter 9
liquidated
On our way there, we learned that
the underground resistance of the
camp had
eliminated, d isposed of, as by killing
made the decision not to abandon
the Jews and to prevent their
liquidation
Nobel Peace Prize Speech
eloquence
bewilderment
accomplices
traumatized
Apartheid
abhorrent
Dissident
Thank you, Chairman Aarvik, for
the depth of your e loquence . And
Fluent or persuasive speaking or writing
for the
generosity of your gesture
I remember his be w i l d erment, I
remember his anguish. It all
happened so fast.
confusion resulting from failure to
understand
Because if we forget, we are guilty, A person who helps another commit a
we are accomplices
crime.
For I belong to a
trau m at i ze d generation, one that Subject to lasting shock as a result of an
experienced the abandonment and emotionally d isturbing experience or
solitud e of
physical injury
our people
Apartheid is, in my view, as
abhorrent as antiSemitism.
(in South Africa) A policy or system of
segregation or discrimination on grounds
of race.
Apar theid is, in my view, as
abhorrent as antiSemitism.
Inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant
As long as one dissident is in A person who opposes official policy, esp.
prison, our freedom will not be true
that of an authoritarian state
Vocabulary in Night
W o rd
Co ntex t Clues
Definitio n
Chapter 1
penury
waiflike
synagogue
Gestapo
annihilate
emigration
anti-Semitic
surreptitiously
Farce
Extreme poverty; d estitution
Resembling a waif; apparently homeless,
starv ing, etc
The building where a Jewish assembly or
congregation meets for religious
observance and instruction
The German secret police under Nazi rule
2. Destroy utterly; obliterate.
to leave on country or region to settle in
another
relating to or characterized by anti Semitism; hating Jews
Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or
stealthy means
exaggerated comedy; something ridiculous
Chapter 2
A feeling that makes one self-conscious
and unable to act in a relaxed and natural
way.
inhibition
hermetically
sealed in a completely airtight way
pious
Devoutly religious
Chapter 3
notorious
Famous or well known, typically for some
bad quality or d eed
*Kapos
A concentration camp inmate appointed
by the SS to be in charge of a work gang.
convalescent
Recovering from an illness or operation.
compulsory
Required by law or a rule; obligatory
camaraderie
Mutual trust and friendship among people
who spend a lot of time together
Chapter 4
veritable
quarantine (noun)
sanctity
Used as an intensifier, often to qualify a
metaphor
A state, period, or place of isolation in
which people or animals that have been
exposed to infectious or contagious disease
are placed
The state or quality of being holy, sacred ,
or saintly
Evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or
pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning
way
eluded
imprudent
Not showing care for the consequences of
an action; rash
manacled
A metal band, chain, or shackle for
fastening someone' s hands or ankles.
Chapter 5
lament
A passionate expression of grief.
emaciated
bony: very thin especially from disease or
hunger or cold
crucible
A place or occasion of severe test or trial
sage
A profoundly wise man
Infection of the intestines resulting in
severe diarrhea with the presence of blood
and mucus in the feces
dysentery
Chapter 6
automatons
transcended
poignant
something that operates automatically in
response to instructions
Be or go beyond the range or limits of
(something abstract, typically a conceptual
field or d iv ision).
Evoking a keen sense of sadness
or regret
Chapter 8
Indifference
lack of concern, interest, or
feeling; apathy
Plaintive
sad ; mournful
Chapter 9
liquidated
eliminated, d isposed of, as by killing
Nobel Peace Prize Speech
eloquence
bewilderment
accomplices
Fluent or persuasive speaking or writing
confusion resulting from failure to
understand
A person who helps another commit a
crime.
traumatized
Subject to lasting shock as a result of an
emotionally d isturbing experience or
physical injury
Apartheid
(in South Africa) A policy or system of
segregation or discrimination on grounds
of race.
abhorrent
Dissident
Inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant
A person who opposes official policy, esp.
that of an authoritarian state