Rump: Chapters 18–22

by Liesl Shurtliff
What's in a name? Young "Rump" embarks on an heroic quest — full of magic and perils — to discover his full name, its meaning, and ultimately his destiny in life.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–17, Chapters 18–22, Chapter 23–Epilogue
15 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. scabbard
    a sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet
    King Barf’s gold crown was bigger than his head, and he was dressed in even more gold than the first time I saw him. Gold breastplate, armbands, a gold-hilted sword and scabbard, gold tassels and buckles, and gold embroidery all over.
  2. brutish
    resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility
    More creatures came rushing through the trees. They were all big and brutish with arms as thick as my stomach that hung down to their knees.
  3. succulent
    tasty and full of juice
    “Well done, Brother. Looks like your trap caught us a nice, tasty boy.”
    “But I wanted a goat,” said the first troll.
    “Oh no, a boy is even better, much more succulent. Practically a feast.”
  4. misshapen
    so badly formed or distorted as to be ugly
    He sniffed hard through his fat, misshapen nose. “Do you smell that?”
  5. sensitive
    responsive to physical stimuli
    “The harp is playing by itself,” I said, wide-eyed.
    “No it isn’t. That’s the wind.”
    “The harp is very sensitive to a breeze,” said Bork.
  6. furtively
    in a secretive manner
    “Oh,” I said, furtively trying to sniff myself to see if I could detect sweetness or bitterness or berries.
  7. meddlesome
    intrusive in an offensive manner
    “We’re protecting it.”
    “From what?”
    “Humans!” said Mard. “Nasty, meddlesome creatures!”
  8. thrum
    a low, continuous sound
    I listened to the deep thrum of the apple tree, which echoed my own heart.
  9. willy-nilly
    in a random manner
    Little lopsided houses were scattered willy-nilly, and the only big building was the mill, which stood on the edge of a forest.
  10. aura
    distinctive but intangible quality around a person or thing
    “Your name is…Herbert. No, no, you don’t look like a Herbert. Bertram? No, you don’t have the right aura for that. Ooh, tricky, tricky! Something unusual—one of a kind, I think. Zelgemeier? Woldenecht? Rolfando?”
  11. stupor
    a state of being half-awake
    Hadel finally broke from her stupor as well, but she didn’t come to me.
  12. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    “My name is Robert.”
    Balthilda furrowed her brow, confused.
    “Well,” said Ida, looking disappointed, “I never would have guessed that.”
  13. pittance
    an inadequate payment
    She took that gold thread to the markets and sold it for a pittance.
  14. abominable
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
    I knew that feeling. I was blind to it at first, but with Opal, I recalled the powerlessness I felt at not being able to suggest a trade, or even refuse one I thought abominable.
  15. wariness
    the trait of being cautious and watchful
    Ida stared at me for a moment. She had been so kind and excited when I came, but now I could see the wariness in her eyes too.
Created on Sat Nov 29 14:21:29 EST 2025 (updated Mon Jan 05 11:36:23 EST 2026)

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