The Alchemist: Pages 1–45

by Paolo Coelho
Santiago is a young Andalusian shepherd whose desire for a different life leads him on a journey of self-discovery.

This list covers pages 1-45 in the 2004 edition published by HarperOne.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
15 words 12714 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alchemist
    one who tried to change ordinary metals into gold
    The alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty.
  2. zenith
    the highest point of something
    He knew that a few hours from now, with the sun at its zenith, the heat would be so great that he would not be able to lead his flock across the fields.
  3. seminary
    a school for training ministers or priests or rabbis
    He was planning, on this visit, to explain to the girl how it was that a simple shepherd knew how to read. That he had attended a seminary until he was sixteen.
  4. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Maybe we’re all that way, the boy mused.
  5. omen
    a sign of a thing about to happen
    He said that he had always dreamed of being a shepherd, and that it was a good omen.
  6. whet
    make keen or more acute
    “Because there is a force that wants you to realize your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.”
  7. abashed
    feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious
    He looked to the skies, feeling a bit abashed.
  8. infidel
    a person who does not acknowledge your god
    “A practice of infidels,” he said to himself.
  9. retaliate
    make a counterattack and return like for like
    The boy was strong, and wanted to retaliate, but he was in a foreign country.
  10. lament
    regret strongly
    He was feeling sorry for himself, and lamenting the fact that his life could have changed so suddenly and so drastically.
  11. insignificant
    of little importance or influence or power; of minor status
    And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.
  12. scabbard
    a sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet
    The scabbard was embossed in silver, and the handle was black and encrusted with precious stones.
  13. dismantle
    take apart into its constituent pieces
    Then, like a colony of worker ants, they dismantled their stalls and left.
  14. trajectory
    the path followed by an object moving through space
    The boy watched it through its trajectory for some time, until it was hidden behind the white houses surrounding the plaza.
  15. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    Although his new world at the moment was just an empty marketplace, he had already seen it when it was teeming with life, and he would never forget it.
Created on Sat Aug 08 19:22:10 EDT 2015 (updated Wed Jul 02 16:29:39 EDT 2025)

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