Dumplin': Chapters 1-11

by Julie Murphy
In this hilarious and heartwarming novel, small-town girl Willowdean surprises everyone—including herself—when she enters a local pageant.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-11, Chapters 12-26, Chapters 27-39, Chapters 40-49, Chapters 50-61
45 words 67 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cringe
    draw back, as with fear, pain, or embarrassment
    Trying not to cringe, I watch as she skips through the exit, weaving in and out of after-school traffic.
  2. differential
    a quality that distinguishes between similar things
    When I mentioned their vertical differential, she smiled, the blush in her cheeks spreading to her neck, and said, “It’s kinda cute, isn’t it?”
  3. ironic
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    She wears shirts with puppies and kittens and not in an ironic way.
  4. rowdy
    disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
    Patrick blocks the driver’s-side door, him and his rowdy group of friends already oinking like pigs.
  5. smirk
    smile in a mocking or condescending way
    For a moment, there’s this dead silence that sinks. “I don’t have my wallet on me.”
    Collin smirks.
  6. glamorous
    having an air of allure, romance and excitement
    Once a year, like Cinderella, my mom’s life is glamorous.
  7. ambrosia
    a fruit dessert, often topped with shredded coconut
    “She had her after-lunch ambrosia and closed her eyes.”
  8. swivel
    turn on a pivot
    When we were kids and she didn’t have her shoes yet, Amanda just limped around, her hips swiveling up and down with each step.
  9. intuitive
    obtained through instinctive knowledge
    But if she didn’t intuitively get that I didn’t really want to work at a store where I couldn’t even fit into the clothes, then I didn’t want to bother explaining it to her.
  10. hospice
    a program of medical care for the terminally ill
    Mom claimed ownership of my grandmother’s wedding gown while she was in hospice.
  11. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    My mom turns to me with this incredulous look on her face.
  12. procreate
    produce more individuals of a given animal or plant
    There are only a few who really make it out and stay out, while the rest of us drink, procreate, and go to church, and that seems to be enough to keep us afloat.
  13. cautionary
    serving to warn
    I guess they all expected to see her folded into a casket like some kind of cautionary tale.
  14. physique
    constitution of the human body
    She’s got the petite physique and voice to match.
  15. depraved
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
    Obviously, I would never enter that depraved popularity contest.
  16. abomination
    a person who is loathsome or disgusting
    But then there was the way Callie looked me up and down. Like I was some kind of abomination.
  17. appease
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
    To appease her, Mr. Dryver promised her a pet.
  18. defile
    spot, stain, or pollute
    I mean it wouldn’t be uncool if you weren’t, but what I’m saying is you don’t need to look like something that shouldn’t be defiled.
  19. definitive
    supplying or being a final or conclusive settlement
    Her voice is definitive as she plucks out the white bra and pantie.
  20. condiment
    a preparation to enhance flavor or enjoyment
    “Hey, hey, Will,” calls Marcus from the condiment bar. “Lookin’ kinda toasty. You get some sun?”
  21. savor
    taste appreciatively
    I slump down in my chair and savor my candy.
  22. entwine
    wind or twist together
    As we walk to our cars in silence, his hand accidentally brushes mine and I wonder what it might feel like if he caught it, letting our fingers entwine.
  23. fervor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
    I nod with fervor because pared down to those terms, I understand.
  24. pare
    decrease gradually or bit by bit
    I nod with fervor because pared down to those terms, I understand.
  25. sparse
    not dense or plentiful
    With the tips of her fingers, El touches my cheeks and, for the first time, I notice the sparse tears rolling down my face.
  26. astrology
    divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon
    “My stepmom. She’s big into stars and astrology.”
  27. captivating
    attracting and holding interest as if by a spell
    “I’m sorry,” I say, “but was that some sort of backhanded way of saying that I’m captivating?”
  28. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    Her smile turns conspiratorial.
  29. deadpan
    deliberately impassive in manner
    “I’ve been really busy,” I say, my voice deadpan.
  30. singe
    burn superficially or lightly
    The whole place is singed, but you can still see the definitive structure of a school, except for straight down the center, which is entirely gone.
  31. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
    The chain I always notice peeking out from beneath his work shirt carries a patron saint pendant.
  32. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    “It’s okay,” I say, mostly because he normally doesn’t talk so much and I’m a little mesmerized by it.
  33. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    There’s still that hum, though. That vibration of adrenaline.
  34. onslaught
    a rapid and continuous outpouring
    We just miss the onslaught of rain.
  35. egomaniac
    a person who is abnormally self-absorbed and self-centered
    “I’m kind of an egomaniac.”
  36. skeptic
    someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
    I’m not always a skeptic, but the odds of them telling the truth are practically nonexistent.
  37. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
    It’s stupid, I guess, because El would never think this, but I feel like last night was so completely unfathomable.
  38. mortified
    made to feel uncomfortable because of shame or wounded pride
    Not to mention that if I told her about last night, I’d also have to tell her how the night ended. With Bo promising that this would never happen again and with me mortified by the thought of his hands touching my body.
  39. revel
    take delight in
    The light clings to his scales, and he revels in it.
  40. brooch
    a decorative pin
    “Luce used to wear this bee brooch when we were kids. Do you remember that? The one she’d wear on her winter coat when she picked us up from school?”
  41. drab
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    The coat was black and drab and obviously purchased for the sake of utility without any thought of fashion.
  42. mantra
    a commonly repeated word or phrase
    It’s a mantra that repeats over and over again in my head, and whenever I’m by myself, I even say it out loud.
  43. fray
    wear away by rubbing
    Her cargo shorts are frayed at the edges, and her gardening clogs smell like they’ve been doing exactly what they were made for.
  44. tarnish
    make or become dirty or dull, as by exposure to air
    The rhinestones are foggy and the metal tarnished with age, but there’s still something so regal about it.
  45. discretion
    the trait of judging wisely and objectively
    My discretion. My pride. They’re both gone and it’s like I’ve got horse blinders on.
Created on Thu Nov 09 16:55:11 EST 2017 (updated Tue Nov 14 16:27:56 EST 2017)

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