Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH: Chapters 6–14

by Robert C. O'Brien
Mrs. Frisby and her children, a family of mice, must leave their home in order to escape the farmer's plow. Because her son Timothy is too sick to leave his bed, Mrs. Frisby enlists the help of a group of super-intelligent rats to help move her family to safety.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–14, Chapters 15–20, Chapter 21–Epilogue
15 words 400 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. primeval
    having existed from the beginning
    It was a gloomy and primeval spot, deeply shadowed in the gray dusk.
  2. sonorous
    full and loud and deep
    “A mouse?” The sonorous voice sounded unbelieving. “Why should a crow be a friend to a mouse?”
  3. feasible
    capable of being done with means at hand
    Finally he said: “Lying where it does, your house will inevitably be turned up by the plow, and probably broken to bits in the process. There is no feasible way to prevent this..."
  4. deference
    a courteous expression of esteem or regard
    “That is not important,” said the owl, drawing back a little and looking at her in a new way—almost as if with deference.
  5. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    “Go there. You will find a sentry guarding the door. His name is Justin. Tell him who you are, and that you come at my request. Tell him that you want to see a rat named Nicodemus. I think they will let you in, though they may insist on swearing you to secrecy. If they should ask that, you must of course use your own judgement; but my advice would be to do as they ask.”
  6. cordial
    politely warm and friendly
    “Why, so it is. Mrs. Frisby. How do you do?” He sounded cordial enough, but he was startled. “I didn’t know that you...How do you happen to be in here?”
  7. afterthought
    an addition that was not included in the original plan
    Mr. Ages said: “That has been taken care of. She has promised secrecy, and she is to be trusted completely. That I, myself, guarantee. After all, consider who she is.” As an afterthought he added, “...and who her children are.”
  8. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    In a few more steps the tunnel—Mrs. Frisby could now discern, dimly, its shape and direction—took a turn to the right, and she did see for herself.
  9. dank
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    Mrs. Frisby noticed that the air, which should have been dank and damp so deep underground, was on the contrary fresh and clean, and she thought she could even detect a very faint breeze blowing past her ears as she moved.
  10. dredge
    search the bottom of a body of water for something valuable
    They were lined with shelves from floor to ceiling, and on the shelves stood—Mrs. Frisby dredged in her memory. “Books,” she said. “They’re books.”
  11. explicit
    precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable
    She started out into the hall, and then changed her mind. Better not. Nicodemus had been friendly—they had all been friendly—but explicit. He had said she was to wait in the library.
  12. subside
    wear off or die down
    “It’s a place.” The girl-rat, her alarm apparently subsiding, began picking up her scattered papers. “I’m supposed to be practicing my reading.”
  13. scrutiny
    a prolonged intense look
    “You will forgive the glass and the scrutiny,” he said.
  14. toil
    work hard
    “You did it yesterday!” cried Mrs. Frisby, remembering the figures toiling the wire through the grass, remembering how strangely disinterested Dragon had seemed when he saw her.
  15. flail
    thrash about
    The nets flailed down, scooped, flailed again.
Created on Tue Jul 16 16:45:44 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Jul 31 15:38:57 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.