Moon Over Manifest: List 1

by Clare Vanderpool
During the Great Depression, Abilene Tucker tries to solve a mystery in her father's hometown of Manifest, Kansas, while also learning about Manifest's fascinating past.

This list covers "Santa Fe Railway"–"Triple Toe Creek," or pages 1-67 in the 2010 Yearling edition.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1,List 2,List 3,List 4,List 5
40 words 481 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. auxiliary
    functioning in a supporting capacity
    But there was only the same old “Hogs and Cattle” report on one side and a “Hattie Mae’s News Auxiliary: Charter Edition” on the other, plus a couple of advertisements for Liberty Bonds and Billy Bump’s Hair Tonic.
    Anything auxiliary works to support someone or something else; for example, auxiliary troops in a war might assist the regular army. As a noun, the word can refer to anything that serves as an aid. "Hattie Mae's News Auxiliary" is a newspaper column that supports or supplements the main body of the newspaper.
  2. full-fledged
    having gained complete status
    Being a paying customer this time, with a full-fledged ticket, I didn’t have to jump off, and I knew that the preacher would be waiting for me.
  3. dyspepsia
    a digestive disorder characterized by heartburn or nausea
    Despite a minor explosion while we mixed her dyspepsia elixir, the parcels turned out beautifully, each wrapped in red-white-and-blue gingham, and I am sure they will be received with great appreciation.
  4. elixir
    a sweet flavored liquid used in compounding medicines
    Despite a minor explosion while we mixed her dyspepsia elixir, the parcels turned out beautifully, each wrapped in red-white-and-blue gingham, and I am sure they will be received with great appreciation.
  5. wrought
    shaped to fit by altering the contours of a pliable mass
    A wide wrought iron gate that had every manner of doodads welded right into it.
  6. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
    They told people to give up their evil ways or follow the devil straight down the path to perdition.
  7. dilapidated
    in a state of decay, ruin, or deterioration
    Beyond the gate, leaves and dandelions lined a long grassless swatch of ground all the way to a dilapidated old house.
  8. plumb
    completely
    The paint was worn off and the porch swing hung crooked, like it was plumb out of swing.
  9. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    Up and down Main Street, the stores were dingy.
  10. rut
    a settled and monotonous routine that is hard to escape
    They call it a Depression, but I’d say it’s a downright rut and the whole country’s in it.
    This sentence plays on two meanings of rut. A rut can be a deep groove in the ground (compare to the word depression, which can likewise refer to "a concavity in a surface"). A rut can also be a routine or state that is hard to escape, as in "I feel like I'm in a rut lately."
  11. sheaf
    a package of several things tied together
    “Don’t folks around here have to be bringing in the sheaves or something?”
  12. discombobulated
    having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion
    Shady picked up the discombobulated typewriter and we got while the getting was good.
  13. vise
    a holding device attached to a workbench
    There was a mirror behind it, a sawhorse in front with some wood clamped in a vise, and an abundance of sawdust all over the floor.
  14. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    I took tentative steps around the room until I felt one that had a little more bounce than the others.
  15. jar
    shock physically
    A bell started clanging from a distance, jarring me out of my thoughts.
  16. quandary
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    “If I took these, it’d sure leave Hattie Mae in a pickle and a quandary and she wouldn’t be able to type either one.”
  17. iniquity
    morally objectionable behavior
    “The fact is she’s living in a saloon and a stone’s throw from that spooky Miss Sadie’s Divining Parlor. My mother says that place is nothing but a den of iniquity.”
  18. versed
    thoroughly acquainted through study or experience
    “I see your father is well versed in the works of Herman Melville.”
  19. catechism
    an elementary book summarizing the principles of a religion
    “Sister Redempta, I’m afraid there’s been a mistake. There is a B marked beside catechism.”
  20. corporal
    possessing or existing in bodily form
    “I am aware of that, Charlotte. I graded your final exam, and among other things, I do not believe that wearing black to a funeral or giving last year's feather bonnet to your sister can be classified as corporal works of mercy. Mae Hughes,” she continued.
  21. conglomeration
    a sum total of many varied things taken together
    Second, that conglomeration of half-nailed boards could hardly be called a tree house.
  22. memento
    a reminder of past events
    I wrote up a map for you so you'll know what's important, what you're protecting. Plus I left some mementos I know you've been eyeballing.
  23. traipse
    walk or tramp about
    So here I was, traipsing after Ruthanne, enjoying the excited, scared feeling that made my spine shiver.
  24. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    Mr. Underhill plodded over to a grassy spot between two graves and stretched his arms between the markers.
  25. colander
    bowl-shaped strainer used to wash or drain foods
    “You stop that right now, Ruthanne McIntyre! Or I’ll tell your mother that you used her colander for catching tadpoles.”
  26. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    It was a little late for that revelation, I thought. “What are we going to do now?”
  27. bearing
    the direction or path along which something moves or lies
    My heart pounded, and even though I hadn’t moved, I felt like I’d lost my bearings.
  28. comeuppance
    a usually negative outcome or fate that is well deserved
    “Let’s see, they’re cousins. They’d be Nora’s and Bette’s girls. Those Wallace girls, their mothers, used to get into all kinds of mischief when they were young. I guess they’re getting their comeuppances now,” Shady said with a grin.
  29. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    That put an idea into my head, and I mulled it over while washing the dishes and wiping down the bar top.
  30. regalia
    especially fine or decorative clothing
    A large fleshy woman stood before me in full regalia.
  31. wanton
    unprovoked or without motive or justification
    I might be wanton enough to risk eternal damnation on Miss Sadie’s spiritualism, but I’d be hung if I’d waste another dime.
    Wanton here seems to have the sense of "unrestrained."
  32. brocade
    thick expensive material with a raised pattern
    Maybe it was the way she studied me so hard that made me feel like she could see right through me to the brocade wallpaper behind me.
  33. bauble
    cheap showy jewelry or ornament
    “I see. Now we get somewhere. Do you have a bauble?”
  34. divination
    the art or gift of prophecy by supernatural means
    She seemed to be weighing whether to go on, as if deciding if I was worthy of receiving her divination.
  35. parasol
    a handheld collapsible source of shade
    Jinx peered over the bush in front of him just in time to see a young woman raise her parasol and march off.
  36. enamor
    attract
    Jinx was intrigued by the romantic scene developing before him, but was even more enamored with the catfish wriggling on the hook.
  37. wiry
    lean but strong
    Uh-oh, Jinx thought, noticing that Ned’s build was strong and tall compared to his own shorter, wiry one.
  38. carouse
    celebrate or enjoy something in a noisy or wild way
    The other one, laughing like a girl, that’s Elroy Knabb. He’s one of the bosses at the mine, but if his wife found out he was here drinking and carousing—well, let’s just say Mrs. Knabb is wicked with a rolling pin.
  39. don
    put on clothes
    They put on their shoes, donned the white hoods, and hoisted themselves over the bank.
  40. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    This seemed to rile one of the hooded men.
Created on Fri May 18 14:29:06 EDT 2018 (updated Wed May 23 08:54:46 EDT 2018)

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