A Wrinkle in Time: Chapters 1-3

by Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel details the adventures of the precocious Murry children as they travel across space and time to track down their missing father.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-3, Chapters 4-6, Chapters 7-9, Chapters 10-12
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. frenzied
    excessively agitated
    In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind.
  2. crevice
    a long narrow opening
    Wind blew in the crevices about the window frame, in spite of the protection the storm sash was supposed to offer.
  3. sullen
    showing a brooding ill humor
    Meg looked up at her mother, half in loving admiration, half in sullen resentment.
  4. moderation
    the quality of avoiding extremes
    “You don’t know the meaning of moderation, do you, my darling?”
  5. indignantly
    in a manner showing anger at something unjust or wrong
    “You peeked!” Charles cried indignantly. “We’re saving that for Mother’s birthday and you can’t have any!”
  6. ferocious
    marked by extreme and violent energy
    Meg bared her teeth to reveal the two ferocious lines of braces.
    Ferocious is not an adjective often used to describe braces, especially since braces are meant to straighten teeth instead of sharpening them to make them dangerous. The ferocity of the braces comes less from the barbed lines of wires and more from the way Meg is deliberately using them to reveal her anger at the principal's questioning of her father's occupation and whereabouts.
  7. belligerent
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
    “Do you enjoy being the most belligerent, uncooperative child in school?”
  8. antagonistic
    characterized by feelings of intense dislike or hostility
    Try to be a little less antagonistic.
  9. tractable
    readily reacting to suggestions and influences
    Maybe your work would improve if your general attitude were more tractable.
  10. stifled
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    Meg let out a stifled shriek.
  11. peremptory
    not allowing contradiction or refusal
    But Charles Wallace held up his hand in a peremptory gesture.
  12. assimilate
    take up mentally
    "Let’s not talk about it till we’ve had something to eat. I need fuel so I can sort things out and assimilate them properly."
  13. morass
    a complicated situation that is difficult to deal with
    “I guess so,” Meg said, but her happiness had fled and she was back in a morass of anger and resentment."
  14. plaintively
    in a manner expressing sorrow
    “My, but I wish there were no wind,” Mrs Whatsit said plaintively.
  15. grievous
    of great gravity or crucial import
    "What grievous pain a little fault doth give thee!”
Created on Mon Aug 19 19:55:01 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Jul 23 18:10:51 EDT 2025)

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