The Ear, the Eye and the Arm: Chapters 1–10

by Nancy Farmer
In the year 2194, three daring children are on the run in Zimbabwe—but three detectives are hot on their trail.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–30, Chapters 31–40

Here is a link to our lists for The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. revered
    profoundly honored
    Father approved of them because they taught the virtues most revered by the people of Zimbabwe: loyalty, bravery, courteousness and reverence for Mwari, the supreme god.
  2. descend
    come from
    “Chickens are descended from reptiles. I read it in a book.”
  3. totem
    emblem consisting of an object such as an animal or plant
    The Mellower compared Father to a victorious bull in a green Field, to the lion that represented Father’s totem.
  4. scowl
    frown with displeasure
    Kuda scowled fearsomely, as though enemies were present right in the room.
  5. revert
    go back to a previous state
    Then the man reverted to the traditional style of Praise Singing: “He goes forth to explore, as his ancestors once followed rivers to new lands, as they stood on hills, their spirits bold as lightning—”
  6. torpor
    inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of energy
    Now was the time to ask about the trip, but the same torpor that had overtaken Father also affected Tendai.
  7. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    “Are you”—Tendai could hear Father looming out of his chair—“are you saying my son’s a coward?”
  8. endure
    undergo or be subjected to
    They believe their gods are asleep and can only be roused if they send a messenger—a sacrifice, that is. The more pain the messenger has endured, the more brightly it burns with anger when it reaches the spirit world.
  9. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    “You of all people should know only cowards listen at doors. If you’re curious, ask a question. Don’t skulk! Maiwee!”
  10. residue
    matter that remains after something has been removed
    Presently, the tears dried up, leaving a heavy residue of despair behind.
  11. inaccessible
    capable of being reached with great difficulty or not at all
    As long as either Father or Mother were home—no matter how inaccessible—the Mellower wouldn’t dare interfere with the day’s activities.
  12. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    A warm breeze laden with the scent of freshly cut grass replaced the house air—not that anything was wrong with the house air.
  13. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Rita, Kuda and the Mellower dashed around, knocking over chairs, skidding on the wet floor and banging into the distraught robots, who were trying to clean up.
  14. sarcastic
    expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
    “Well, maybe you wouldn’t be so sarcastic if you had to do it yourself,” cried Tendai, suddenly angry.
  15. delegation
    a group of representatives
    I’ve promised to entertain a delegation from China. Your father has a meeting with the President, and we’ll have dinner with her tonight.
  16. contaminate
    make impure
    It had been contaminated with toxic chemicals over a century ago.
  17. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Kuda clung to Rita, and she grabbed Tendai’s hand so hard he winced.
  18. disposition
    your usual mood
    He liked them in all their shapes and dispositions simply because they were people and not machines.
  19. contemptuously
    without respect; in a disdainful manner
    Fancy show cats yawned contemptuously at the crowds that milled around them.
  20. tightwad
    a miserly person
    “Get me a hamburger, you tightwads!”
  21. expose
    put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position
    “When I was a boy, gangs were everywhere. I saw my brothers gunned down in the yard. I swore I would never expose my children to danger like that.”
  22. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Mother looked up to see the police dragging in the disheveled Mellower.
  23. flourish
    grow vigorously
    The slave trade once flourished in Africa, the Praise Singer said.
  24. hoist
    raise
    Tendai hoisted Kuda to his back, and the little boy clasped his arms around his big brother’s neck.
  25. tremor
    shaking or trembling
    “If you’re not busy, could I send the stretch limo to pick you up? Please don’t be busy,” she added with a tremor Arm picked up at once.
  26. adobe
    sun-dried brick used in hot dry climates
    He was the only one who couldn’t protect himself, although the thick adobe walls of the office made life somewhat bearable.
  27. fetid
    offensively malodorous
    Children sailed boats down the fetid gutters and flew kites between the beer hall signs.
  28. dank
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    They had a dank smell that reminded him of an old refrigerator.
  29. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    The ancestors had been here, might be here even now, watching him pull out the remnants of their lives.
  30. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
    She seemed to have no qualms about disturbing the ancestors.
  31. threadbare
    thin and tattered with age
    “They might have been kidnapped at Mbare Musika. It’s an excellent place for it,” said Arm, draping his long limbs over the threadbare sofa.
  32. stanch
    stop the flow of a liquid
    “He ought to be in a cage!” shouted Arm, stanching the blood on Ear’s ear with a handkerchief.
  33. seething
    in constant agitation
    Granny sat in her rocking chair day after day, seething with resentment.
  34. monotonous
    tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
    He brought her treats, read her stories and listened to her monotonous complaints.
  35. consort
    keep company with
    Granny never stopped reminding Knife of this: “They were aristocrats who would rather cut their throats than consort with criminals. You’re merely spoiled goods.”
  36. humiliation
    an instance causing you to lose prestige or self-respect
    The man hadn’t forgotten his humiliation when Tendai cut through his belt.
  37. repellent
    highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
    Granny smiled benevolently, an expression almost as repellent as her usual scowl.
  38. decency
    the quality of being polite and respectable
    “You don’t try to kill a poor old woman whose only crime is decency. You don’t drag her off to live in a moral sewer.”
  39. reclusive
    withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
    They, who were normally reclusive, welcomed him.
  40. shackle
    restrain with or as if with fetters
    Rita was no longer shackled, but Fist hadn’t forgiven Tendai for trying to escape.
Created on Thu Feb 20 20:21:35 EST 2014 (updated Thu Aug 16 14:42:37 EDT 2018)

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