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Elephant Run: Part Three

Forced to work as a servant in a Burmese village during World War II, Nick plans a daring escape.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
40 words 31 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. swath
    a path or strip (also figurative)
    Hannibal looked longingly toward the broken swath the young bull had cut through the bamboo.
  2. respective
    considered individually
    He had been waiting for them in the secret room when they returned from their respective listening posts.
  3. novice
    someone who has entered a religious order
    If we happen to encounter soldiers, they will be Buddhist themselves, or very familiar with Buddhist practices. To be convincing you must not only look like novices, you must act like novices.
  4. precept
    a doctrine that is taught
    After I cut your hair, I will give you the ten precepts of the novice, which you must try to follow.
  5. venerable
    profoundly honored
    "Repeat after me: Venerable sir, I respectfully ask you to ordain me as a novice in order that I may be free from the cycle of existence and attain Nirvana."
  6. ordain
    invest with ministerial or priestly authority
    "Repeat after me: Venerable sir, I respectfully ask you to ordain me as a novice in order that I may be free from the cycle of existence and attain Nirvana."
  7. nirvana
    the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation
    "Repeat after me: Venerable sir, I respectfully ask you to ordain me as a novice in order that I may be free from the cycle of existence and attain Nirvana."
  8. bemused
    deeply absorbed in thought
    There were three other mahouts with Magwe, and they had already grabbed Mya and Hilltop. Mya struggled to get away, but Hilltop stood calmly with a bemused look on his face.
  9. cinch
    pull, fasten, or tie something tightly
    Hilltop told Hannibal to get to his feet, then cinched the saddle on tight.
  10. fester
    generate pus
    "We spent the rest of that day and part of the night treating his wounds. We had to use other elephants to turn him over. It took three days to get him to his feet. No one thought he would live. Nang and your father built a crush around him and put slings under his chest and belly to help him stand. We did not leave his side for six weeks, treating his festering wounds several times a day."
  11. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    He took a pod out of her bag and tentatively held it out to him.
  12. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    The village was small, with only a dozen or so ramshackle houses that looked as if they would blow over in the next breeze.
  13. furtive
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    Nick took furtive glances at the frightened villagers.
  14. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    He scrutinized her for a long time, then let her head drop back down, to Nick and Hilltop's relief.
  15. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    The captain nodded, then without warning, slapped one of the old men across the face with his baton, leaving an angry-looking welt on his cheek.
  16. elusive
    skillful at evading capture
    "People say he is as elusive and dangerous as a tiger's breath."
  17. convoy
    a procession of land vehicles traveling together
    Small bands of guerrillas had successfully attacked supply convoys and depots, gun emplacements, and patrols.
  18. thatch
    cover with roofing material made of plant stalks
    Lined up in the center were the bamboo prisoner barracks—the roof thatching caved in now, the woven walls in tatters.
  19. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    A sleepy sentry stepped out in front of him and asked where he thought he was going.
  20. feign
    give a false appearance of
    "I suppose you have to go to work soon," Hilltop said, feigning regret.
  21. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    "Ahh," Indaw said with a conspiratorial smile, "unfortunately, Miss Pretty pulled a leg muscle just this morning."
  22. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Indaw returned in time to see the elephants saunter off into the forest, leaving Miss Pretty behind.
  23. gaunt
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    The men were gaunt, worn down by work, heat, lack of food, and disease.
  24. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    Mya was ecstatic at the prospect of being reunited with Indaw, and overjoyed that he was well, but she could hardly share her happiness with Nick.
  25. oppressive
    weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
    The camp was laid out like the plans Nick had studied in the vault, but the precise drawings had missed the oppressive hopelessness of the place.
  26. amiss
    not functioning properly
    He wasn't sure if he had heard something or had had a bad dream. He scanned the jungle and listened. Nothing seemed amiss.
  27. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    "An elephant is the best sentinel on earth," he had told them.
  28. strafe
    attack from above with machine guns or cannon fire
    The long bamboo barracks on the right side had a red cross painted on the thatched roof. This was to stop enemy fighters from strafing the camp, killing their own sick and wounded.
  29. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
    Mya and Nick recognized Sergeant Sonji's exuberant voice.
  30. treasonous
    constituting or having the characteristic of betrayal
    "I don't know, Taung Baw. I may not be a good soldier, but I am a good Japanese. What you're asking is treasonous."
  31. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    Her consternation must have been obvious, because before Hilltop and Nick left for the camp, Hilltop took her aside and said, "Just remember this, Mya. We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world."
  32. haunch
    the upper thigh and back of the hip in human beings
    Hilltop squatted on his haunches directly below, using the trunk as a backrest.
  33. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    The men started digging, but without his father to help, they were very slow, even with Sonji berating them.
  34. manacle
    shackle that can be locked around the wrist
    Bukong merely smiled and made certain Indaw's manacles were painfully tight.
  35. altercation
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
    Bukong raised his cane and hit her across the shoulders. Indaw and Nick lunged at him, but both were thrown to the ground by the trackers.
    Captain Moto ignored the altercation and walked over to the elephant saddle.
  36. unperturbed
    free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
    The only one of them who appeared unperturbed was Hilltop.
  37. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    Beyond the steps lay a vast red-and-brown desert that at first glance looked barren and dead, but as Nick had learned, the arid land was actually teeming with life, if you knew where to look.
  38. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    Nick took a deep breath, savoring the pungent scent of eucalyptus from the grove near the house and the incense burning in the natshin.
  39. aborigine
    an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
    The locals had scoffed at the idea of nats and "dollhouses" to confine them, but the aborigine ranch hands had great respect for the nats and stopped by daily to make offerings of their own.
  40. paddock
    a pen for horses
    Mya was in the paddocks training a horse, her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, a bush hat on her head.
Created on Wed Sep 16 09:45:42 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Sep 22 13:00:30 EDT 2020)

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