With the Fire on High: List 5

by Elizabeth Acevedo
Emoni Santiago pursues her dream of becoming a chef while finishing high school and raising her daughter.

This list covers pages 295–388 of the 2019 HarperTeen edition ("Winning"–"From: [email protected]").

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5

Here is a link to our lists for The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.
35 words 216 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. gazpacho
    a cold soup made with tomatoes
    I look down at my cold soup, a gazpacho, and try not to smile.
  2. patter
    make light, rapid and repeated sounds
    Although it’s only been three days, I already miss hearing her small feet pattering all over the house, her high-pitched voice singing along to Moana.
  3. sarcastic
    expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
    I wait for her sarcastic response but it never comes.
  4. cobbler
    a pie made of fruit with rich biscuit dough on top
    I just want you to know, your cobbler recipe is making the rounds here in Andalusia. That’s the name for the southern region of Spain where Sevilla is located. So, your cobbler traveled from the South of the US to the south of the Iberian Peninsula!
  5. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    Gilded
    When I was little the other kids from the block and I would get together and play a game called mancala.
  6. noble
    having high or elevated character
    “I’ve already told you my father is a big history buff when it comes to PR, and he doesn’t need much prompting to remind me that before Columbus, Puerto Rico was called ‘Borinken’ by the Taíno people who lived there. He told me once it means ‘Land of the brave and noble lords.’ ..."
  7. tether
    tie with a rope
    I just can’t shake off how much it feels that this place, Spain, and this city, Sevilla, are tied to who I am even if I’m not sure I want to be tethered to them.
  8. homage
    respectful deference
    “It’s paying homage to Islam.” He points to the ceiling. “The star and moon. And that bell over there looks like a call to prayer.”
  9. conquest
    the act of defeating and taking control of
    “Exactly right! This is one of the few palaces that shows the Muslim conquest of Spain in 711 AD.”
  10. plaque
    a tablet that commemorates a person or achievement
    A plaque near the entrance says that a Muslim emperor built it for his wife.
  11. wisp
    a thin tuft, piece, or amount of something
    The wisps of hair on his chin and the sideburns shaped into a perfect Philly point.
  12. grubby
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt
    “Hey, it’s okay,” I say, taking back the purse. The boy has long lashes framing bright green eyes. Tears are falling down his grubby cheeks.
  13. waiver
    a formal written statement of relinquishment
    I remember clearly the waiver we signed, and while I don’t mind taking sips of ’Buela’s rum or holiday wine, I’ll be damned if I get tipsy in another country where I don’t know the area or people.
  14. tipsy
    slightly intoxicated
    I remember clearly the waiver we signed, and while I don’t mind taking sips of ’Buela’s rum or holiday wine, I’ll be damned if I get tipsy in another country where I don’t know the area or people.
  15. distorted
    having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
    Pretty Leslie sings Malachi’s nickname for me, and from her lips it sounds distorted.
  16. flail
    thrash about
    I flail around trying to find my phone. It’s six a.m.
  17. awning
    a canvas canopy to shelter people or things from rain or sun
    It’s a pretty scene of the city. The light on the stones, the awnings of the marketplace, and the plaza.
  18. emit
    give off, send forth, or discharge
    We get up to the part when Harry emits his Patronus against a dementor for the first time, when Malachi starts playing with my fingers.
  19. marinade
    mixture of vinegar, oil, and seasoning for soaking foods
    I’m working on a marinade for the pork shoulder that Chef Amadí will be serving for dinner tomorrow night.
  20. unscathed
    not injured
    “Keep that water running. Let me see if any got on the food or cutting board. We have Band-Aids and gloves in that cabinet above your head. Only a couple more hours and you would have gone through the trip unscathed. But now you have a war scar to prove you were here.”
  21. punctuate
    stress or single out as important
    The singer has a deep voice and the end of each note is punctuated with a clap.
  22. profound
    showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
    She sings about how everything changes, the shallow and the profound, the shiny and the old; everything but the love for home changes.
  23. inspiration
    arousal of the mind to unusual activity or creativity
    “Mercedes Sosa was full of duende. Of inspiration and passion.”
  24. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    And although I fight not to run out the car every time we stop for traffic, tolls, or a red light, Mr. Jagoda’s easy humming and calming demeanor helps me push back my impatience.
  25. nuzzle
    gently rub or push one's nose or face against something
    I press my cheek into her palm and nuzzle close, my eyes drifting shut.
  26. fringe
    an ornamental border of short lengths of hanging threads
    ’Buela doesn’t walk all the way into the room. She plays with the fringes of the long gray scarf I bought her, and I notice she isn’t wearing her wedding band.
  27. onslaught
    a rapid and continuous outpouring
    She fans her face with the scarf as if it will stop the onslaught of tears, but then she’s hugging me and laughing and even when Babygirl wakes up crying, all ’Buela can do is hold me on the bed and rock me, saying over and over, “Mi niña, mi niña, is going to college. Call your father. He’s going to be so proud.”
  28. court
    make amorous advances towards
    My grandmother is blushing like a girl with her first crush. “And he’s been courting me. You know he’s the office manager at his son’s doctor’s office and he’s nice to me and he took me to dinner at that fancy restaurant, and we get coffee on the weekends, and have been to a movie..."
  29. shirk
    avoid one's assigned duties
    “I’ve taught you a lot, Emoni Santiago. And what I have been most proud of is what you learned about sacrifice and responsibilities. I can’t shirk mine, either.”
  30. rustling
    a light noise, like leaves blowing in the wind
    I hear some rustling in the background and I know I must have interrupted his reading.
  31. respectable
    deserving of esteem
    The smile fades from her face but mine stays right where it is. I’ve met this kind of woman before. The kind with real strict ideas about what makes certain people respectable.
  32. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    The kind that gets sour-faced at learning Babygirl is my daughter, but who would have sympathy if I was of a paler complexion.
  33. advocate
    speak, plead, or argue in favor of
    My heart stops for a second. Army tank Mrs. Palmer was advocating for giving me some money for Babygirl? Everything in this life really does change.
  34. gluten
    a protein in wheat and other grains that makes dough elastic
    “What, don’t tell me you’re gluten free,” I joke. “’Buela didn’t cook today. You’re stuck with my food, and I don’t know if you heard, but I’m a pretty good cook.”
  35. armoire
    a large wardrobe or cabinet
    I’ve had it on my armoire since December, with no reason to keep it, but something wouldn’t let me throw it away.
Created on Tue Jun 25 14:43:28 EDT 2019 (updated Tue Jul 02 11:11:41 EDT 2019)

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