Wild Born: Chapters 16–19

by Brandon Mull
In the first volume of the popular Spirit Animals series, four children must use their newly discovered powers to fight against the forces of evil.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–15, Chapters 16–19
30 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. taper
    diminish gradually
    The ledge was very wide where they currently stood, and ran more or less level before it tapered to nothing in front of them.
  2. glance
    hit at an angle
    Arax kicked out sharply and caught the bear with a glancing blow from his huge hooves that sent Jools tumbling along the ledge.
  3. detachment
    a small unit of troops of special composition
    Hopefully Uraza was bringing reinforcements—a second detachment of Greencloaks would come in handy against the giant ram.
  4. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    The girl was lithe, tall for her age, and advanced confidently.
  5. synchronize
    happen at the same time
    There was a subtle synchronization to their movements, almost as if they were influenced by the same secret music. It had to be Uraza and her partner.
  6. fare
    proceed, get along, or succeed
    How would she fare with her life on the line?
  7. protrude
    extend out or project in space
    Meilin noticed Jhi scraping at a weed that protruded from a crack.
  8. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
    Rollan retreating while brandishing his dagger.
  9. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    Coiled to pounce, the cougar stared at her panda. The big cat maintained the same pose for several seconds. On her hind legs, Jhi walked toward the mesmerized mountain lion and placed her paws at either side of its head.
  10. tussle
    fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters
    Monte wrestled with a Zhongese woman whose agile mongoose tussled with Scrubber.
  11. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    His saber had a gleaming blade and a gilded hilt.
  12. parry
    impede the movement of
    Rollan came flying out of nowhere with his dagger, but the skillful boy parried the attack and kicked him away.
  13. oppression
    the act of subjugating by cruelty
    “We admire Zhong. We dream of a better Zhong, free from the oppression of the Greencloaks.”
  14. onslaught
    an offensive against an enemy
    He dodged one lightning-fast blow, blocked another, then took the offensive. Meilin backed away, barely holding her own in the onslaught.
  15. ungainly
    lacking grace in movement or posture
    Jhi looked ridiculous atop the wall, too round and ungainly to cross the thin ridge.
  16. blatantly
    in a completely obvious manner
    Uraza looked back at Abeke and growled low in her throat without releasing the falcon. Abeke immediately lowered her weapon. Uraza had never scolded her that blatantly before.
  17. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Abeke remembered Zerif warning that Arax could influence the wind. But a Rain Dancer normally had to labor for days to influence the weather—Abeke had not expected instant gales conjured out of nothing.
  18. outcropping
    part of a rock formation that juts above surrounding land
    She noticed some minor ledges and outcroppings in between.
  19. gale
    a strong wind moving 34–40 knots
    The wind redoubled in force, and the entire mountainside shuddered. Staying low and leaning into the gale, Abeke fought her way to the box.
  20. leverage
    strategic advantage; power to act effectively
    Pushing with all of her might, groaning as she adjusted for maximum leverage, Abeke toppled the weighty lid.
  21. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
    The wind abated but the mountainside quaked harder.
  22. exhilarating
    thrilling or invigorating
    The leap propelled her farther than she could have hoped. As the shelf tumbled away behind her, she soared an exhilarating distance through the air.
  23. treachery
    an act of deliberate betrayal
    This man, her enemy, had saved her life, only to be rewarded by treachery. A stab in the back.
  24. parapet
    a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony
    Conor leaned against the highest parapet on Sunset Tower, looking west, a light breeze ruffling his hair.
  25. barren
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    Oceans away, on the far side of Erdas, under a black, impenetrable sky, warm rain drenched a large earthen mound on a barren prairie.
  26. crude
    belonging to an early stage of technical development
    In one hand he held the crude key, heavy and carved with animal faces.
  27. culminate
    end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage
    Years of work would culminate tonight.
  28. industrious
    characterized by hard work and perseverance
    The others kept tunneling industriously.
  29. thrall
    the state of being under the control of another person
    They were in thrall to the presence beneath the mound. He served the same presence, but his devotion was different.
  30. asunder
    into parts or pieces
    The next dazzling blaze of lightning showed the side of the hill tearing asunder.
Created on Thu Aug 13 10:33:50 EDT 2020 (updated Mon Aug 17 10:07:11 EDT 2020)

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