Holes: Chapters 44–50

by Louis Sachar
In this comic adventure, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile detention center where the inmates spend their days digging mysterious holes. But what on earth are they looking for?

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–16, Chapters 17–24, Chapters 25–35, Chapters 36–43, Chapters 44–50

Here is a link to our lists for Small Steps by Louis Sachar.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. commotion
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    He wondered if he should try to scramble out of the hole before the lizards turned on him, but he didn't want to cause any commotion.
  2. illuminate
    make lighter or brighter
    The light also illuminated Stanley's hole.
  3. delirious
    experiencing hallucinations
    "He was delirious, and we had to keep watch over him so he wouldn't hurt himself or anybody else."
  4. strenuous
    taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
    Standing still was more strenuous than walking.
  5. fascinated
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    He was momentarily fascinated by it, as its big hairy body moved slowly and steadily along.
  6. authenticated
    established as genuine
    "It was not authenticated," the Warden said.
  7. custody
    a state of being confined, usually for a short time
    "The boys in my custody have proven themselves dangerous to society."
  8. hallucination
    illusory perception
    "He's been suffering from hallucinations and delirium."
  9. enforcement
    ensuring observance of or obedience to
    The tall man was the Texas Attorney General, the chief law enforcement officer for the state.
  10. jurisdiction
    the territory within which power can be exercised
    "He is no longer under your jurisdiction," said Stanley's lawyer.
  11. pursuant
    in conformance to or agreement with
    "You are released pursuant to an order from the judge."
  12. indefinitely
    to an unknown extent
    "Keep him confined indefinitely, without justification, while you go crawling through black holes in cyberspace?"
  13. dedicated
    devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose
    It was bought by a national organization dedicated to the well-being of young girls.
  14. tedious
    so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
    The reader probably still has some questions, but unfortunately, from here on in, the answers tend to be long and tedious.
  15. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    But those changes are subtle and hard to measure.
Created on Sat Aug 31 15:18:33 EDT 2013 (updated Thu Jun 12 19:12:53 EDT 2025)

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