Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Vocabulary

Raucous

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What part of speech is it?

Raucous

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What part of speech is it?

The crowd’s raucous laughter could be heard outside.

Christopher John’s whistling increased to a raucous, nervous shrill… (5)

Raucous

Rough-sounding; harsh (adj.)

Loud; unpleasant The crowd’s raucous laughter could be heard outside.

Sharecropping

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Sharecropping

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The sharecropping family grew mostly tobacco and cotton.

“Beyond the protective fencing of the forest, vast farming fields, worked by a multitude of sharecropping families, covered two thirds of a ten-square-mile plantation.” (6)

Sharecropping

A system of farming in the South that developed after the Civil War (n.)

Farming The sharecropping family grew mostly tobacco and cotton.

Emaciated

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Emaciated

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Jane was so emaciated from not eating that she was too weak to perform her daily tasks.

“…a tall emaciated-looking boy popped suddenly from a forest trail and swung a thin arm around Stacey” (8).

Emaciated

To make extremely thin (adj.)

Thin, withered Jane was so emaciated from not eating that she was too weak to perform her daily tasks.

Dismally

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Dismally

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What part of speech is it?

Fred stared dismally at the burning embers of his former home.

“Little Man shook a threatening fist into the thick air, then looked dismally down at himself” (13).

Dismally

Causing gloom; cheerless (adj.)

Gloomy; hopeless

Fred stared dismally at the burning embers of his former home.

Transposed

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Transposed

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The director transposed the formation of the marching band to generate a more creative show.

“As Jeremy and his sister and brothers hurried toward those transposed flags, we turned eastward toward our home” (15).

Transposed

To change position, order, or sequence (v.)

The director transposed the formation of the marching band to generate a more creative show.

Rearrange; reorder

Dubious

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Dubious

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What part of speech is it?

The student offered the teacher a dubious excuse for not turning him his homework.

“…I resolved to make the best of my rather dubious position” (21).

Dubious

Questionable, and uncertain (adj.)

The student offered the teacher a dubious excuse for not turning him his homework.

Unclear, Suspicious

Maverick

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Maverick

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What part of speech is it?

An artistic maverick, Johnny Depp transcends your typical Hollywood star.

“(Mama) was still considered by many of the other teachers as a disrupting maverick” (30).

Maverick

A person who refuses to conform and acts independently (adj.)

The artistic maverick, Johnny Depp transcends your typical Hollywood star.

Nonconformist; Rebel

Ornate

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Ornate

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I stood awestruck as I stared at the ornate tomb of Cleopatra.

“The furniture…included a walnut bed whose ornate headboard rose halfway up the wall toward the high ceiling” (36).

Ornate

Elaborately designed; flashy, showy (adj.)

I stood awestruck as I stared at the ornate tomb of Cleopatra.

Elaborate; luxurious

Resiliency

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Resiliency

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Already looking toward the next game, Tom showed great resiliency after the difficult loss. “At first the rain had merely splotched the dust, which seemed to be rejoicing in its own resiliency and laughing at the heavy drops thudding against it” (42).

Resiliency

The ability to recover quickly to original form/state (n.)

Already looking toward the next game, Tom showed great resiliency after the difficult loss.

Bounce back; elastic; tough

Emitted

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Emitted

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What part of speech is it?

The skunk emitted a gut-wrenching scent that contaminated the entire basement. “We were not fond of the skins, for once they were wet they emitted a musty odor…” (43).

Emitted

To issue, to give force, to send off (v.)

The skunk emitted a gut-wrenching scent that contaminated the entire basement.

Give off; release

Oblivious

Def: Unconscious, unaware (adj)

Flipping through the newspaper as I strolled to work, I was oblivious to the banana peel on the sidewalk.

“And for once in his life, Little Man was happily oblivious to the mud spattering upon him” (51).

Adamantly

Def: Hard to break, inflexible, rigid (adj/adv with -ly)

Many Americans have been adamantly opposed to the War in Iraq.

“ ‘No! We can’t ever tell nobody!’ declared Stacey adamantly” (64).

Confer

Def: Discuss, consult (v)

Before making a decision, Jim needed to confer with his wife.

“…it occurred to me that it was probably the boys coming to confer with me” (66).

Admonished

Def: To correct or caution critically, reprimand (v)

After discovering Jane’s lie, Jane’s mother admonished her bad behavior.

“T.J.’s eyes roamed the length of the room, then he admonished, ‘See, if you was smart like me, Stacey, you’d use the old brain to get the questions on that big test comin’ up’ ” (72).

Haughtily

Def: snobbish, scornful, arrogant (adj/adv with -ly)

He peered haughtily down his nose at me.

“ ‘Well, you don’t have to get snippety about it,’ replied T.J. haughtily” (73).

Feigned

Def: pretend, to give a false appearance (adj)

She feigned excitement upon receiving a bag of rocks from her grandparents for her birthday.

“I nudged Christopher-John and Christopher-John nudged Little Man, and the three of us forced ourselves to stare into the fire in feigned disinterest ” (74).

Proprietors

Def: owners (n)

The proprietors of Caribou Coffee have excelled in creating a unique, northwoods atmosphere.

“She also spoke of finding another store to patronize, one where the proprietors were more concerned about the welfare of the community” (98).

Retaliated

Def: to pay back; to return like for like or evil for evil. (v)

After being knocked to his knees by an inside fastball, Kyler retaliated on the next pitch by zinging a line-drive past the pitcher’s ear.

“ ‘I already know what I am,’ I retaliated” (112).

Sullenly

Def: a gloomy silence or mood (adj; adv with ly)

Discovering that he failed the math test, Jason trudged sullenly out of the room.

“He crossed the street sullenly then, his hands jammed in his pockets” (113).

Ambled

Def: to walk in a slow, easy-like manner; stroll. (v)

Lindsey ambled through the park contemplating the meaning of life.

“Instead, I ambled along the sidewalk trying to understand why Mr. Barnett had acted the way he had ” (113).

Languidly

Def: lacking energy or spirit; weak. (adj; adv with -ly)

Exhausted, Stan languidly waved at us after the marathon.

“Uncle stopped the car at the intersection and…motioned languidly at the Wallace store” (137-138).

Placid

Def: calm or peaceful. (adj)

It was easy to find peace sitting near the placid waters of Lake Jenny.

“He was a long, thin man in his mid-fifties with a perfect lawyer face, so placid that it was difficult to guess what thoughts lay behind it” (160).

Boycott

Def: to hold back from buying, using, or dealing with in protest. (v)

Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat to a white man sparked the the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott.

“But even more important than all that, you’re pointing a finger right at the Wallaces with this boycott business” (164).

Insolently

Def: disrespectful, rude. (adj; adv with -ly)

“No!” replied the toddler insolently.

“Uncle Hammer eyed him insolently” (168).

Jovial

Def: happy-go-lucky; good-humored (adj)

His once jovial nature disappeared after his mother died.

“…it was obvious that the jovial mask that T.J. always wore had been stripped away” (177).

Amenities

Def: social courtesies. (n)

It is important to learn how to use appropriate amenities when greeting someone.

“ ‘You goin’ up to the store tomorrow, David?’ Mr. Avery asked after all the amenities had been said” (203).

Lethargically

Def: slow; tired (adj; adv with -ly)

On Saturday, he hung around the house lethargically.

“The heat swooped low over the land…and through it people moved slowly, lethargically, as if under water” (227).

Crescendo

Def: a gradual increase in intensity or sound (n)

As the music reached a deafening crescendo, I got the shivers!

“A crescendo of ugly hate rose from the men as the second car approached” (254).

Traipsing

Def: walking without purpose. (v)

Tom and his dog Buddy traipsed down the muddy trail oblivious to the mess it was creating. “ ‘I’m gonna teach all of y’all ‘bout traipsing off in the middle of the night…’ ” (258).

Menacingly

Def: threatening (adj; adv with -ly)

As the graveyard caretaker menacingly approached us, we quickly turned and ran away.

“…the thunder banged menacingly overhead.” (260).