Tuck Everlasting: Prologue–Chapter 5

by Natalie Babbitt
After meeting the Tucks, a family that is able to live forever after drinking from a magical spring, Winnie Foster questions whether immortality is a blessing or a curse.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–19, Chapter 20–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bovine
    of or relating to or belonging to cattle
    It widened and seemed to pause, suggesting tranquil bovine picnics: slow chewing and thoughtful contemplation of the infinite.
  2. contemplation
    a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
    It widened and seemed to pause, suggesting tranquil bovine picnics: slow chewing and thoughtful contemplation of the infinite.
  3. oppressive
    weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
    And all at once the sun was uncomfortably hot, the dust oppressive, and the meager grass along its edges somewhat ragged and forlorn.
  4. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    And all at once the sun was uncomfortably hot, the dust oppressive, and the meager grass along its edges somewhat ragged and forlorn.
  5. accessible
    capable of being reached
    And anyway, for the people, there was another reason to leave the wood to itself: it belonged to the Fosters, the owners of the touch-me-not cottage, and was therefore private property in spite of the fact that it lay outside the fence and was perfectly accessible.
  6. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    He was still asleep, and the melancholy creases that folded his daytime face were smoothed and slack.
  7. brooch
    a decorative pin
    Mae Tuck climbed out of bed and began to dress: three petticoats, a rusty brown skirt with one enormous pocket, an old cotton jacket, and a knitted shawl which she pinned across her bosom with a tarnished metal brooch.
  8. rueful
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    Tuck rolled over and made a rueful face at her. “What in the world could possibly happen to me?”
  9. staggering
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
    She paused and peered anxiously at the toad to see how it would receive this staggering idea, but it showed no signs of interest.
  10. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    “All right! I’m coming!” she cried, exasperated, and then added quickly, “I mean, I’ll be right there, Mama.”
  11. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    His long chin faded off into a thin, apologetic beard, but his suit was a jaunty yellow that seemed to glow a little in the fading light.
  12. marionette
    a figure operated from above with strings by a puppeteer
    His tall body moved continuously; a foot tapped, a shoulder twitched. And it moved in angles, rather jerkily. But at the same time he had a kind of grace, like a well-handled marionette.
  13. galling
    causing irritation or annoyance
    Still, it was galling, this having to admit she was afraid.
  14. disheartened
    made less hopeful or enthusiastic
    And when she remembered the toad, she felt even more disheartened.
  15. plaintively
    in a manner expressing sorrow
    “Well, I still don’t see why not,” said Winnie plaintively. “I’m getting thirstier every minute. If it didn’t hurt you, it won’t hurt me. If my papa was here, he’d let me have some.”
Created on Tue Mar 19 19:34:49 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Aug 06 16:13:43 EDT 2025)

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