Catherine, Called Birdy: February

by Karen Cushman
In medieval England, an unconventional teenage girl records events in her daily life, including her attempts to thwart her father's plans to marry her off.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: September, October, November, December–January, February, March–April, May–July, August–September
25 words 116 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    Finally, the familiar talk about ladylike behavior—moderate in speech and laughter, discreet in word and deed.
  2. humble
    cause to be unpretentious
    “In truth,” she said, “the baron Fulk left without a betrothal not because of your fire but because your father bested him at chess. I think your father would not humble himself before God Himself. Even to secure a baron’s son for his daughter.”
  3. penance
    voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for something
    My mother said children are gifts from God, even though they sometimes seem like penance, and that as God’s gifts we must welcome them.
  4. rend
    tear or be torn violently
    Over to the walls, where their sharpened weapons cut new rends in the already tattered hangings.
  5. flagon
    a large metal or pottery vessel with a handle and spout
    William and Gilbert grabbed flagons of wine to pour over the blazing rushes while Richard stamped on the stray sparks and my father, the genius, pulled down his breeches and pissed most of the fire out.
  6. grievous
    causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
    He sustained a grievous injury in the fight and lay untended all night while we slept.
  7. bluster
    act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
    And my father stopped blustering long enough to lay a kiss on my lady mother’s head.
  8. steeple
    a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building
    Huddled against the great curtain wall with its stone towers were buildings of all sizes—a slope-roofed storage shed, a kitchen with a chimney like a church steeple, the great hall, a brewhouse, thatched barns and stables, a piggery, a smithy, and the chapel.
  9. thatch
    cover with roofing material made of plant stalks
    Huddled against the great curtain wall with its stone towers were buildings of all sizes—a slope-roofed storage shed, a kitchen with a chimney like a church steeple, the great hall, a brewhouse, thatched barns and stables, a piggery, a smithy, and the chapel.
  10. smithy
    a workplace where metal is worked by heating and hammering
    Huddled against the great curtain wall with its stone towers were buildings of all sizes—a slope-roofed storage shed, a kitchen with a chimney like a church steeple, the great hall, a brewhouse, thatched barns and stables, a piggery, a smithy, and the chapel.
  11. teem
    be full of or abuzz with
    The yard teemed with sights and sounds.
  12. mortar
    a substance used as a bond in masonry or for covering a wall
    Masons chipped stones and mixed mortar as they continued their everlasting repairs.
  13. cardinal
    one of a group of prominent bishops in the Sacred College
    21ST DAY OF FEBRUARY, Feast of Saint Peter Damian, monk, cardinal, poet, and maker of wooden spoons
  14. wimple
    a headdress of cloth
    Her veil and wimple were crooked and stained with crumbs and gravy from her attempts to straighten them.
  15. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    No one dared chide her, her being the cousin of the king!
  16. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    She peered intently into my face, her mouth so close her whistling tickled my chin.
  17. tender
    young and immature
    Robert promised not to bed with her while she was of such a tender age, but from the looks of her, he paid no more attention to his promise than a cow at Mass.
  18. rollick
    play boisterously
    The wedding feast still rollicks below, but I have had my fill of merriment and have escaped to my chamber to write this account of the day's events.
  19. strew
    spread by scattering
    The rushes on the floor were last year’s but were new strewn with mint and heather.
  20. beholden
    under a moral obligation to someone
    The worst part is that now I must be beholden to the abominable Robert.
  21. serf
    (Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord
    27TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, Shrove Tuesday and the Feast of Saint Alnoth, serf and cowherd
  22. affect
    act physically on
    I said he affected my stomach like maggoty meat and my father laughed and said, “Learn to like it.”
  23. bode
    indicate by signs
    It bodes not well.
  24. loathing
    hate coupled with disgust
    Shaggy Beard has a son, Stephen, whom he spoke of with loathing, calling him “Sir Priest,” “the clerk,” and “the girl,” because the boy thinks and bathes and does not fart at Mass.
  25. morbid
    suggesting the horror of death and decay
    First day of Lent. We are but dust and to dust shall return. I tried to be thoughtful and morbid on this day but spoiled it by skipping in the yard after dinner from pure joy.
Created on Wed Aug 14 14:31:45 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Aug 15 09:03:40 EDT 2019)

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