Among the Hidden: Chapters 8–15

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In this dystopian novel, famine and overpopulation has led to a strict Population Law that limits families to two children. Luke, an illegal third child, must spend his life in hiding — but when he meets Jen, another third child, he becomes involved in a dangerous plan to challenge the Population Law.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–15, Chapters 16–21, Chapters 22–30
15 words 2240 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    He put his right foot out, tentatively, not quite daring to put his full weight on it.
  2. apparatus
    equipment designed to serve a specific function
    Two teenaged boys lived there, and their deck overflowed with soccer balls, baseball bats, tennis rackets, basketballs, hockey sticks, and apparatus from games Luke could only guess at.
  3. zeal
    a feeling of strong eagerness
    He gathered up dishes from the table and piled them into the sink, scrubbing everything with extraordinary zeal.
  4. irritable
    easily annoyed
    Mother was stroking his hair now. It made him feel itchy and irritable.
  5. incredulously
    in a disbelieving manner
    “Luke made bread?” Mark said incredulously. “Yuck.”
  6. pantomime
    act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements
    He pantomimed death, clutching his hands around his own neck, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth, and lolling his head to the side.
  7. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    Matthew and Mark guffawed.
  8. sporadically
    in an irregular or unpredictable manner
    He watched the Sports Family house only sporadically now.
  9. sanctuary
    a shelter from danger or hardship
    He turned around and looked at his family’s house, so safe and secure. His sanctuary.
  10. telepathy
    extrasensory communication from one mind to another
    It seemed so real, he remembered something he’d read in one of the old books in the attic about telepathy — supposedly if people really loved you, they could call out to you from miles away if you were in danger.
  11. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    It reminded him of a word he’d never heard, only read: “pristine.” Nobody had ever stepped on these white rugs with manure-covered boots. Nobody had ever sat on those pale blue couches with corn-dust-covered jeans.
  12. taboo
    a ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
    He'd broken so many taboos today, leaving the house, standing in the open yard, talking to a stranger. Why did one more violation matter?
  13. competent
    properly or sufficiently qualified, capable, or efficient
    “They say. But everybody knows the Government’s not that competent.”
  14. baffled
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    Here, he felt as baffled as Alice in Wonderland from one of the old books in the attic.
  15. hypnotize
    induce a state that resembles sleep in
    Or — he remembered something he’d read in a nature book — maybe he was like the prey of a snake that hypnotized its victims before it ate them.
Created on Fri Oct 05 18:03:42 EDT 2018 (updated Mon Jul 28 12:44:00 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.