Pre-Unit Vocabulary Knowledge Rating – Chapters 1-6
As you complete this unit you need to fill in this vocab list. Place an x in the appropriate location if you know it, have
seen it, or have no idea. Mark notes of what you think the word might mean, even if it’s a guess and you are wrong.
Words
Chapter 1-6
EXAMPLE
Muster
Know It
Have
Seen It
X
???
Notes
I think you put it on food like ketchup.
To gather or cause to gather… words that he could
gather
Sentence from the book: Page 1 – “What are you doing?” he asked in as polite a tone as he could muster.
Imitate
x
To copy, or in some cases, make fun of.
Sentence from the book: Page 1- His mother had always told him that he was to treat Maria respectfully
and not just imitate the way Father spoke to her.
Dismissively
x
To urge someone to leave.
Sentence from the book: Page 8- “Oh you’ll make other friends,” said Mother, waving her hand in the air
dismissively, as if the making of a boy’s three best friends for life was an easy thing.
Banister
x
The railing on a staircase.
Sentence from the book: Page 9- He made his way up the stairs slowly, holding on to the banister with one
hand.
Nooks
x
A small reading device.
Small spaces.
Sentence from the book: Page 12- He was still able to find nooks and crannies that he hadn’t fully finished
exploring yet.
Crannies
x
Close corners; Small spaces
Sentence from the book: Page 12- He was able to find nooks and crannies that he hadn’t fully finished
exploring yet.
Plaque
x
An object you can engrave a message in.
Sentence from the book: Page31- There was plaque attached to the top of the bench, but she couldn’t see
the inscription from the distance.
Mahogany
x
A type of dark wood; A very deep and dark color
Sentence from the book: Page 45- The walls were hardly visible; instead they were covered with dark
mahogany shelves.
Insolent
x
Disgraceful
Sentence from the book: Page 51- “Even though your youth and experience force you to phrase things in
an insolent manner.
Deliberately
X
The action of being deliberate; Difficult
Sentence from the book: Page 58- As if she was being deliberately difficult.
Obliged
X
Sentence from the book: Page 61- Even though he was not obliged to.
Like obligated?
Forced to
Words
Chapter 7-10
Prospect
Know It
Have
Seen It
x
???
Notes
The opposite of retrospect?
Information
Sentence from the book: Page 67- Several weeks after Bruno arrived at Out-With with his family and with
no prospect of a visit.
Escapade
X
Like escape?
Book
Sentence from the book: Page 68- Mother had told him one afternoon when he had related the story of his
latest escapade.
Trenches
x
A big hole in a lined shape; Used for battle strategies.
Sentence from the book: Page 69- Franz was one of the young men who fought for us in the trenches.
Appallingly
X
Playful
Sentence from the book: Page 72- ‘Good morning little man.’ said Kotler, reaching out and –quite
appallingly- ruffing through Bruno’s hair.
Coincide
x
A death, like homicide and suicide?
Move
Sentence from the book: Page 87- Parties at Bruno’s house were always dominated by Grandmother’s
singing, which for some reason always seemed to coincide with the movement when Mother moved from
the main party area to the kitchen.
Slurred
x
To mess things up
Quiet; Muffled
Sentence from the book: Page 93- However, Mother & Father’s voices were muffled & hard to make out,
Grandfather’s was not to be heard at all, while Grandmother’s was quite slurred.
Retrieved
x
Got back; Took
Sentence from the book: Page 93- Finally after a few minutes, the door slammed open and Gretel and
Bruno darted back up the stairs while Grandmother retrieved her cot from the rack in the hallway.
Sinister
x
Deceiving; Evil
Sentence from the book: Page 98- “Then this is what I am here to change,” he said in a sinister voice.
Rummaged
x
Gone through; Looked
Sentence from the book: Page 99- Bruno jumped off his bed and rummaged in his wardrobe for an
overcoat and
Forlorn
x
Deserted; Lonely
Sentence from the book: Page 106- The boy was smaller than Bruno and was sitting on the ground with a
forlorn expression.
Word
Chapters 11-14
Commandant
Know It
Have
Seen It
x
???
Notes
The one in charge; Leader
Sentence from the book: Page 116- Just after Father received the new uniform which meant everyone had
to call him ‘Commandant’.
Enunciating
x
Pronouncing
Sentence from the book: Page 119- Enunciating each word precisely.
Ushered
x
Greeted; Welcomed
Sentence from the book: Page 121- Father saluted and ushered them inside.
Snippets
x
Parts
Sentence from the book: Page 124- Later than night Bruno overheard snippets of Mother and Father’s
conversation.
Peckish
x
Hungry
Sentence from the book: Page 135- “I’m going for a walk and thought I might get hungry on the way.”
Catastrophe
x
A bad situation
Sentence from the book: Page 142-But the more Bruno watched him the more he was sure a catastrophe
was going to strike.
Tubercular
x
Sentence from the book: Page 146- “Was he tubercular?”
Ill; Chocked up
Incumbent
x
Urgent
Sentence from the book: Page 146-“ When it is incumbent upon all of us to play our part in the national
revival?”
Dilemma
x
Situation; Problem
Sentence from the book: Page 154- Bruno considered the dilemma he was in.
Sarcasm
x
To be unreal in an unenthusiastic way; To not say
what you mean
Sentence from the book: Page 157- Said Gretel sarcastically because she had recently had a birthday and
turned thirteen and thought that sarcasm was the very height of sophistication.
Words
Chapter 15-20
Medicinal
Know It
Have
Seen It
???
Notes
x
Alcohol
Sentence from the book: Page 167- And when Bruno looked down he saw sixty-four small glasses, the ones
Mother used when she was having on of her medicinal sherries.
Anatomy
x
Body
Sentence from the book: Page 167- He held his hand out and Bruno couldn’t help but notice that it was like
the hand of the pretend skeleton that Herr Liszt had brought with him one day when they were studying
the human anatomy.
Productions
x
Plays; Performances
Sentence from the book: Page 172- The things he remembered most about her were the productions that
she and he and Gretel performed at Christmas and birthdays and how she always had the perfect costume
to suit whatever role he played.
Inconsolable
x
Brokenhearted
Sentence from the book: Page 178- (His departure had come about very suddenly and there had been a lot
of shouting between Father and Mother about it late at night, but he was gone, that was for sure, and he
wasn’t coming back; Gretel was inconsolable.)
Lice
x
A tiny bug that can live in your hair
Sentence from the book: Page 184- It turned out that both Gretel and Bruno had lice in their hair.
Misshapen
x
Irregular
Sentence from the book: Page 184- His entire head looked misshapen now that he was bald and his eyes
looked to big for his face.
Remotely
x
In a related manner
Sentence from the book: Page 186- There was no one for her to talk to, and the only person she was
remotely friendly with –the young Lieutenant Kotler- had been transferred somewhere else.
Senile
x
Mad; Crazy
Sentence from the book: Page 187- Grandmother was dead and they almost never heard from
Grandfather, who Father said had gone senile.
Summoned
x
Requested
Sentence from the book: Page 189- Then one day Father summoned Bruno and Gretel into his office and
informed them of the changes that were to come.
Sensible
x
Logical
Sentence from the book: Page 199- All in all, it seemed like a very sensible plan and a good way to say
goodbye.