Bless Me, Ultima: Chapters 6–11

by Rudolfo Anaya
As he grows up and develops his own sense of identity, Tony is guided by Ultima, a curandera who heals with magic.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–22
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. retort
    answer back
    “Any land will flow with milk and honey if it is worked with honest hands!” my mother retorted.
  2. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    I had never felt such fear before, because as the whirlwind blew its debris around me the gushing wind seemed to call my name: Antoniooooooooooooooo...
  3. melee
    a noisy riotous fight
    For a long time I was held hypnotized by the thundering herd, then with a cry of resolution exploding from my throat I rushed into the melee.
  4. intercession
    the act of intervening, as to mediate a dispute
    “Blessed Virgen de Guadalupe, thank you for your intercession! Blessed St. Anthony, holy San Martín, ay Dios mío, gracias a San Cristóbal!”
  5. monotonous
    sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch
    We prayed rosary after rosary, until the monotonous sound of prayers blended into the blur of flickering altar candles.
  6. carp
    any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
    We have seen the land of the golden carp...
  7. turgid
    abnormally swollen especially by fluids or gas
    They were like turgid animals who did things mechanically.
  8. audacity
    aggressive or outright boldness
    His forwardness and audacity often caught them off guard.
  9. quaver
    give off unsteady sounds
    His voice quavered.
  10. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    The three dark figures silently beckoned me to follow them.
  11. girder
    a beam used as a main support in a structure
    I looked up at the black girders of the huge bridge and saw a figure scamper precariously from perch to perch.
  12. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    I looked up at the black girders of the huge bridge and saw a figure scamper precariously from perch to perch.
  13. abode
    housing that someone is living in
    It was a beautiful sight to behold, the struggle of the carp to regain his abode before the river dried to a trickle and trapped him in strange pools of water.
  14. reassure
    cause to feel confident
    Andrew worked all day so I did not see him much, but it was reassuring at least to have him home.
  15. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    My father was dejected about his sons leaving, and he drank more than before.
  16. graft
    cause parts of different plants to grow together
    “My poor brother Lucas,” my mother cried, “that this should happen to the youngest! He has such skill in his hands, his gift with the care and grafting of trees is unsurpassed.”
  17. incantation
    a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
    Then they began to cook it, throwing in many other things while they danced and chanted their incantations.
  18. cohort
    a company of companions or supporters
    No one in his right mind would confront the cohorts of the devil!
  19. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
    The drive to El Puerto was always a pleasant one, but today it was filled with strange portents.
  20. contrivance
    the act of devising something
    “I will first try to reason with him. He must know that those who tamper with fate are often swallowed by their own contrivance—”
  21. stature
    the height of a standing person
    She stood tall, with a nobleness to her stature that I had seen often when we walked on the llano.
  22. crony
    a close friend or associate
    Tenorio gasped and drew back, and his three cronies pushed their chairs to the floor and backed away.
  23. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    I thought he would attack Ultima, but his gnarled body only trembled with anger.
  24. avert
    turn away or aside
    They lowered their eyes to avert Tenorio’s gaze and scurried for the door.
  25. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
    The sky remained dark around us, but the clouds of dust abated somewhat.
  26. parchment
    skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on
    His eyes were two dark pits, and the thin parchment of yellow skin clung to his bony face like dry paper.
  27. bravado
    a swaggering show of courage
    He was the youngest of my uncles, and I always remembered him full of life and bravado.
  28. elation
    an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism
    I suffered the spasms of pain my uncle suffered, and these alternated with feelings of elation and power.
  29. vial
    a small bottle that contains liquid medicine
    I saw her use vials of oil she had not used before, and I saw that some of the roots she used were fresh with wet earth.
  30. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    The acrid smell of the dark-yellow pee blended into the fragrance of the cereal.
  31. pallor
    an unnatural lack of color in the skin
    Before he did not seem to breathe, but now his chest heaved with the breath of life and the pallor was gone from his face.
  32. indebted
    owing gratitude to another for help or favors
    “We are indebted to her forever,” he said, “for saving the life of my brother."
  33. grotto
    a small cave, usually with attractive features
    The cool waters of the creek came out of a dark, shadowy grotto of overhanging thicket, then flowed about thirty feet before they entered the large pond.
  34. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    I felt weak and powerless in the knowledge of the impending doom.
  35. slake
    satisfy, as thirst
    Without the sun there would be no waters formed to slake the dark earth's thirst.
Created on Fri Jun 13 02:01:54 EDT 2014 (updated Thu Aug 30 09:08:56 EDT 2018)

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