We Dream of Space: List 3

by Erin Entrada Kelly
Set in 1986, this novel traces the ups and downs of three siblings as they wait for the launch of the Challenger space shuttle.

This list covers Tuesday, January 14, 1986–Monday, January 20, 1986.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
30 words 95 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bewilder
    cause to be confused emotionally
    It bewildered Cash how his dad could go from an angry tirade to a calm discussion about basketball in the space of a few minutes, but here he was, talking about Charles Barkley while Cash responded at all the right moments, agreeing here and nodding there.
  2. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
    It bewildered Cash how his dad could go from an angry tirade to a calm discussion about basketball in the space of a few minutes, but here he was, talking about Charles Barkley while Cash responded at all the right moments, agreeing here and nodding there.
  3. groggy
    stunned or confused and slow to react
    He pulled the sheets over his head, still groggy from sleep, and listened.
  4. phenomenon
    a remarkable person, thing, or development
    Bird was aware that there was a phenomenon called “going together,” and that some of the girls had boyfriends, and some guys liked girls and vice versa and all that, but she never considered it part of her life.
  5. detached
    showing lack of emotional involvement
    More like a cosmic event that happened outside of her solar system, which she would study with detached curiosity before going about her normal business.
  6. meticulously
    in a manner marked by extreme care of details
    She said “interracial” very meticulously, like it was a new word that she’d just learned and she couldn’t wait to use it in a sentence.
  7. piercing
    having or emitting a high-pitched tone or tones
    The smoke alarm was the loudest thing Fitch had ever heard. It blared in his ears like a single, piercing wail, and it seemed never-ending.
  8. frantically
    in an uncontrolled manner
    It took him by surprise when it started; he’d jumped back several feet and slammed his elbow into the counter. He cradled his elbow now and looked around frantically, trying to figure out how to make it stop.
  9. dutiful
    willingly obedient out of a sense of respect
    The eggs came out okay—a little burned and without the perfect yolk like he usually preferred, but edible enough as they sat dutifully on his plate—and he figured: Why not some bacon, too?
  10. plume
    anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness
    But when he plopped the bacon onto the hot skillet, he didn’t expect large plumes of smoke to sizzle into the air.
  11. char
    burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    The house smelled like burned eggs and charred bacon.
  12. unprecedented
    novel; having no earlier occurrence
    Burgers for dinner, and Cash did something completely unprecedented—he asked if he could help.
  13. refined
    cultivated and genteel
    When she grew up, she planned to live on chips and sandwiches. She figured it would serve her well when she became an astronaut. You can’t exactly have refined taste when you’re floating in a space shuttle thousands of miles from Earth.
  14. hypothetical
    based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence
    “Can I ask you a hypothetical question?”
  15. imperceptible
    impossible or difficult to sense
    The shift of the house could be imperceptible, but Bird was an astute observer.
  16. astute
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    The shift of the house could be imperceptible, but Bird was an astute observer.
  17. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    “We’ll give the burned one to Fitch.” He nodded toward the hallway, where their brother’s door was closed, and smiled conspiratorially at Bird.
  18. monotonous
    sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch
    Mr. Wills, the famously monotonous social studies teacher, gave Cash a hall pass with little fanfare.
  19. fanfare
    a gaudy outward display
    Mr. Wills, the famously monotonous social studies teacher, gave Cash a hall pass with little fanfare.
  20. jolt
    a sudden jarring impact
    When Cash wandered into the hall, he felt a strange jolt of adrenaline.
  21. aspire
    have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal
    It was a faint, simple hash mark, pretty high up, drawn with pencil. It served as a goal line of sorts. Something for him to aspire to.
  22. graze
    scrape gently
    The day his fingertips grazed this line, he reasoned, was the day he would be a worthwhile basketball player.
  23. jut
    extend out or project in space
    He wiggled the tips of his fingers on his right hand, which jutted out of his cast like stunted sausages.
  24. stunted
    inferior in size or quality
    He wiggled the tips of his fingers on his right hand, which jutted out of his cast like stunted sausages.
  25. foremost
    ranking above all others
    “It’s a question that’s foremost on many Americans’ minds. And it’s a very simple question: Why? Why are we going into space? Why are we spending so much money to send astronauts there?”
  26. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    The shuttle commander would be in charge of writing down the answers and coaxing participation from all crew members.
  27. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    “Space exploration is important because we might run out of room.”
    Dani wrote this down but looked skeptical. “What do you mean?”
  28. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    But today, here he was, sitting in his seat, under the scrutinizing eyes of his fictional space mates.
  29. frontier
    a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
    “In Star Trek, they call space the ‘final frontier,’” she said. “We’ve explored all over Earth. Space is the last big mystery.”
  30. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    Bird watched intently as Dani wrote “final frontier” in her notebook.
Created on Tue Feb 16 13:30:57 EST 2021 (updated Tue Feb 23 12:29:40 EST 2021)

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