Eleanor & Park: Chapters 44–58

by Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell's best-selling novel chronicles an unlikely love story between two teens struggling to fit in.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 13, Chapters 14–21, Chapters 22–32, Chapters 33–43, Chapters 44–58
40 words 25 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. swoon
    pass out from weakness or physical or emotional distress
    Eleanor was trying really hard not to be overawed by Park's driv­ing skills, but every time he changed lanes or checked the rearview mirror, she caught herself swooning.
  2. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    Park held her hand the whole night, like he was her boyfriend. Be­cause he is your boyfriend, dummy, she kept telling herself. Much to the dismay of the girl working at the record store.
  3. manual
    requiring human effort
    She didn't say anything about him learning how to drive a manual transmission.
  4. relentless
    not willing or able to stop or yield
    She was relentless.
  5. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
    The amount of chicanery it would take to slip prom past her mother . . . it boggled the mind.
  6. boggle
    overcome with amazement
    The amount of chicanery it would take to slip prom past her mother . . . it boggled the mind.
  7. intimidate
    make timid or fearful
    "You think you can intimidate me with your swanlike good looks, but I'm not that kind of girl."
  8. shallow
    lacking depth of intellect or knowledge
    "You're the reason that goose thinks I'm shallow," she said.
  9. gander
    mature male goose
    "I think it's a gander, right?"
  10. karate
    a traditional Japanese system of unarmed combat
    "What about that old TV show," she said, "with the karate guy . . . "
  11. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    Eleanor felt tense and reckless again.
  12. ignition
    the mechanism that sparks the fuel in a combustion engine
    Park took his hand away and put the key in the ignition.
  13. nirvana
    any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
    (And he'd expected her to feel like heaven, plus nirvana, plus that scene in Willy Wonka where Charlie starts to fly.)
  14. radioactive
    exhibiting or caused by emissions in nuclear decay
    She felt radioactive.
  15. conflicting
    in disagreement
    She'd heard conflicting defi­nitions for the bases.
  16. chaos
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder
    They were sleeping through the chaos.
  17. shard
    a broken piece of a brittle artifact
    Eleanor carefully picked a shard out of the cat's tail and set it aside, then wiped her wet fingers on his fur.
  18. obedient
    dutifully complying with the commands of those in authority
    Eleanor took a sip obediently.
  19. slur
    utter indistinctly
    "We should play quarters," Steve slurred.
  20. perch
    sit, as on a branch
    Tina perched next to him on the arm of the couch and lit a cigarette.
  21. fluke
    a stroke of luck
    Tonight was another fluke, a lucky break, a gift.
  22. maniac
    an insane person
    It was Steve. Right behind the glass, grinning like a maniac.
  23. ransom
    payment for the release of someone
    Was he supposed to pay ransom?
  24. streak
    mark with spots or blotches of different color
    He reached for her hands—her right palm was streaked with blood, but she didn't seem to be in pain.
  25. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    Eleanor closed her eyes and nodded wearily.
  26. slump
    fall or sink heavily
    "I know," she sobbed, slumping forward.
  27. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    There was no room to sit at the table next to her, so he dropped to his knees and pulled her onto the dusty linoleum floor.
  28. noble
    having high or elevated character
    She'd be brave and noble, and she'd find a way.
  29. bout
    a period of indeterminate length marked by some condition
    Of course he had to watch. Like he was umpiring a . . . taekwondo bout.
  30. flutter
    move back and forth very rapidly
    His eyelids fluttered.
  31. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    Weeping again today seemed wholly inevitable.
  32. slouch
    assume a drooping posture or carriage
    Eleanor slouched down and put Park's T-shirt on underneath her own, then pulled the dirty shirt off.
  33. atheist
    someone who denies the existence of god
    Her uncle and his wife were atheists, but it was still a really fun trip.
  34. problematic
    making great mental demands
    They didn't have kids of their own— probably by choice, Eleanor thought. Probably because they knew cute kids grow up into ugly, problematic teenagers.
  35. melodramatic
    having excitement and emotional appeal
    Thank God she couldn't make her mouth work right now, because if she could, there'd be no end to the melodramatic garbage she'd say to him.
  36. lament
    express grief verbally
    “Fie, my Lord, fie," he lamented.
  37. rotary
    relating to or characterized by circular motion
    There was a red rotary phone in the spare bedroom.
  38. pit
    lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers
    They ate lunch together, sitting on the stage with their legs dangling in the orchestra pit.
  39. insatiable
    impossible to fulfill, appease, or gratify
    He had an endless supply and an insatiable appetite for punk music.
  40. elope
    run away secretly with one's beloved
    She didn't say, Unholy union, Batman, when Steve and Tina eloped over
    Labor Day.
Created on Fri Jul 07 15:08:32 EDT 2017 (updated Tue Apr 09 15:07:45 EDT 2019)

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