The Magician's Nephew: Chapters 7–10

by C.S. Lewis
In this prequel set before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer are forced by a magician to be his test subjects for rings created to travel between worlds.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–10, Chapters 11–15

To explore more of our lists on The Chronicles of Narnia, click here.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. regrettable
    deserving or giving rise to disappointment or guilt
    He began muttering something about “regrettable violence—must really protest,” but at a single glance from Jadis he became speechless.
  2. rampage
    act violently, recklessly, or destructively
    Whatever happened, she must not be allowed to go rampaging about the house. Mother must not see her. And, if possible, she must not be allowed to go rampaging about London either.
  3. mutton
    meat from a mature domestic sheep
    It was one of those houses that get very quiet and dull in the afternoon and always seem to smell of mutton.
  4. throttle
    place limits on
    But it was no good trying to throttle this hope. It might—really, really, it just might be true. So many odd things had happened already.
  5. flog
    beat with a whip, rod, or cane
    She was flogging the horse without mercy.
  6. astride
    with one leg on each side
    The Witch, with a magnificent jump, had sprung clear just in time and landed on the horse’s back. She settled herself astride and leaned forward, whispering things in its ear.
  7. neigh
    the characteristic sounds made by a horse
    It was on its hind legs again in a moment, and its neigh was like a scream; it was all hoofs and teeth and eyes and tossing mane.
  8. catcall
    a loud whistle or crude comment made to a passerby
    After it, came about twenty people (mostly errand boys) on bicycles, all ringing their bells and letting out cheers and cat-calls.
  9. constable
    a law officer with limited authority
    “Do your duty, Constable. Hundreds and thousands of pounds’ worth she’s taken out of my shop. Look at that rope of pearls round her neck. That's mine. And she’s given me a black eye too, what’s more.”
  10. flush
    sudden reddening of the face
    A flush of color came into the Witch’s face and she bowed ever so slightly. But the cheers died away into roars of laughter and she saw that they had only been making fun of her.
  11. wrench
    twist or pull violently or suddenly
    Lightly, easily, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, she stretched up her right arm and wrenched off one of the cross-bars of the lamp-post.
  12. brandish
    exhibit aggressively
    She tossed her new weapon up in the air, caught it again, brandished it, and urged the horse forward.
  13. compose
    make calm or quiet
    “Madam—my dear young lady—for heaven’s sake—compose yourself.”
  14. grim
    not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
    He made a third grab: caught the heel: held on like grim death, shouting to Polly “Go!” then—Oh, thank goodness.
  15. delirium
    a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion
    Oh, oh, is this delirium? Is it the end?
  16. whinny
    the characteristic sounds made by a horse
    But Strawberry, the horse, shook his head, gave a cheerful whinny, and seemed to feel better.
  17. hardy
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
    “Now then, now then,” came the Cabby’s voice, a good firm, hardy voice.
  18. suitable
    meant or adapted for an occasion or use
    He struck up at once a harvest thanksgiving hymn, all about crops being “safely gathered in.” It was not very suitable to a place which felt as if nothing had ever grown there since the beginning of time, but it was the one he could remember best.
  19. vengeance
    harming someone in retaliation for something they have done
    If you attempt treachery I will take such vengeance upon you as never was heard of in all worlds from the beginning.
  20. impertinent
    improperly forward or bold
    “You are a very naughty and impertinent little boy,” said Uncle Andrew.
  21. triumphant
    joyful and proud especially because of success
    The Voice on the earth was now louder and more triumphant; but the voices in the sky, after singing loudly with it for a time, began to get fainter.
  22. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    It was softer and more lilting than the song by which he had called up the stars and the sun; a gentle, rippling music.
  23. sidle
    move unobtrusively or furtively
    Just as Digory said “Trees!” he had to jump because Uncle Andrew had sidled up to him again and was just going to pick his pocket.
  24. poise
    hold or carry in equilibrium
    She was poising in her hand the iron bar that she had torn off the lamp-post, ready to throw it.
  25. abominable
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
    I have been most shamefully, most abominably treated.
  26. civility
    the act of showing regard for others
    I have done my best to show you such civilities as were in my power.
  27. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
    You have insisted on my entertaining you to an exceedingly expensive, not to say ostentatious, lunch, though I was obliged to pawn my watch and chain in order to do so (and let me tell you, Ma’am, that none of our family have been in the habit of frequenting pawnshops, except my cousin Edward, and he was in the Yeomanry).
  28. stately
    refined or imposing in manner or appearance
    All this time the Lion’s song, and his stately prowl, to and fro, backward and forward, was going on.
  29. prolonged
    relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
    When a line of dark firs sprang up on a ridge about a hundred yards away she felt that they were connected with a series of deep, prolonged notes which the Lion had sung a second before.
  30. proportion
    relation with respect to comparative quantity or magnitude
    It was a perfect little model of a lamp-post, about three feet high but lengthening, and thickening in proportion, as they watched it; in fact growing just as the trees had grown.
  31. stupendous
    so great in size, force, or extent as to elicit awe
    I shouldn’t be surprised if I never grew a day older in this country! Stupendous! The land of youth!
  32. bray
    make a sound characteristic of donkeys
    And now you could hardly hear the song of the Lion; there was so much cawing, cooing, crowing, braying, neighing, baying, barking, lowing, bleating, and trumpeting.
  33. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    The chosen beasts who remained were now utterly silent, all with their eyes fixed intently upon the Lion.
  34. divine
    appropriate to or befitting a god
    “Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters.”
  35. satyr
    one of a class of woodland deities
    Out of the trees wild people stepped forth, gods and goddesses of the wood; with them came Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs.
  36. repress
    conceal or hide
    And all the other animals began making various queer noises which are their ways of laughing and which, of course, no one has ever heard in our world. They tried at first to repress it...
  37. establish
    set up or found
    Narnia is established. We must next take thought for keeping it safe.
  38. thicket
    a dense growth of bushes
    Ever since the animals had first appeared, Uncle Andrew had been shrinking further and further back into the thicket.
  39. bay
    bark with prolonged noises, of dogs
    And when at last the Lion spoke and said, “Narnia awake,” he didn’t hear any words: he heard only a snarl. And when the Beasts spoke in answer, he heard only barkings, growlings, bayings, and howlings.
  40. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    And when they laughed—well, you can imagine. That was worse for Uncle Andrew than anything that had happened yet. Such a horrid, bloodthirsty din of hungry and angry brutes he had never heard in his life.
Created on Mon Sep 12 13:06:31 EDT 2016 (updated Thu Jul 13 08:49:35 EDT 2023)

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