We Dream of Space: List 4

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 Thursday, January 23, 1986–Saturday, February 1, 1986.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
30 words 34 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bemuse
    cause to be confused emotionally
    His face relaxed. It turned into something else. Bemusement. “But...I don’t like you, either, Bird. I mean. Not in that way.”
  2. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    The dial tone came through loud and clear. Ominous, almost.
  3. presumably
    by reasonable assumption
    It rang three times before a man picked up. Adam Piper, presumably.
    “Hello?” Presumably Adam Piper said.
  4. ignorant
    uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
    “Do you have any idea how ignorant you sound right now, in front of your children?” she said.
  5. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
    Mercury was closest to the sun, but Venus’s atmosphere allowed it to reach up to eight hundred and seventy degrees. Such temperatures seemed unfathomable, especially when you were sitting in the cold night air of north Delaware.
  6. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    A foreign object was banging against the shuttle window.
    Pay no attention. Probably just debris.
  7. amends
    something done or paid to make up for a wrong
    He would finally, finally make amends.
  8. conviction
    an unshakable belief in something without need for proof
    The words came out crisp and true.
    He’d never said anything with so much conviction.
  9. optimistic
    hopeful that the best will happen in the future
    The launch had been rescheduled several times, so Ms. Salonga—and Bird, for that matter—was cautiously optimistic. But it was really going to happen today.
  10. hydraulic
    moved or operated or effected by liquid
    “We’ve had a go for auto-sequence start,” he said. “The SRB hydraulic power units have started. T-minus twenty-one seconds and the solid rocket booster engine gimbal now underway.”
  11. bay
    a compartment in an aircraft used for some specific purpose
    She had the sudden urge to jump out of her chair and leap into the television set so she could sit somewhere on that shuttle, anywhere, next to Judith, next to the pilot, in the cargo bay, even.
  12. crude
    not carefully or expertly made
    Sometimes he gave them “free time,” wherein they were expected to dive into their social studies textbooks as he graded papers; in reality, most people passed notes, whispered back and forth, or drew crude doodles of Mr. Wills in ridiculous situations.
  13. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
    Fitch knew that sound well—it was a door ricocheting off an opposing wall.
  14. giddy
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    Most kids were giddy in the seventh-grade hallway, brimming with possibility at their day off.
  15. inconspicuous
    not prominent or readily noticeable
    When she turned toward the door without getting up, he slipped inside, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible so none of the other kids noticed.
  16. ample
    more than enough in size or scope or capacity
    There was ample space here. Space to breathe, move, exist.
  17. mantel
    a shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace
    She turned to the mantel, where a clock ticked methodically.
  18. methodical
    characterized by orderliness
    She turned to the mantel, where a clock ticked methodically.
  19. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
    Yes, we are small. Yes, there are things we may never understand. But to be small is not to be inconsequential.
  20. surreal
    resembling a dream
    At first he thought it was everywhere, as if the tragedy had blanketed American neighborhoods with a sense of surreal melancholy.
  21. melancholy
    a feeling of thoughtful sadness
    At first he thought it was everywhere, as if the tragedy had blanketed American neighborhoods with a sense of surreal melancholy.
  22. strive
    attempt by employing effort
    “If the sand never moves, it never changes. And each of us should strive to change every single day. To be better explorers. To be better teachers and students. To be better humans. To just be better.”
  23. rigorous
    demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
    The astronauts on the Challenger trained rigorously for months to become the best explorers this nation had to offer, despite the risks, despite the possibility that the worst would happen.
  24. rote
    memorization by repetition
    Checking the pay phone for forgotten quarters had become rote for Fitch and Vern.
  25. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    One of them would inevitably break away from the sidewalk on their way to the arcade and beeline to the dingy phone on the side of the gas station.
  26. yield
    give or supply
    After a quick swipe through the coin return—yielding nothing, always—the journey would continue.
  27. twinge
    a sudden sharp feeling
    When she first put them in a pile, a twinge of pride moved through her, and she quickly stamped it down.
  28. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
    It had been tricky to peel the fruit with his cast, but he persevered. That’s what new Cash did—he persevered.
  29. lull
    make calm or still
    The mental gymnastics had exhausted Bird and lulled her to a deep, deep sleep.
  30. outlook
    an attitude that determines how you respond to situations
    Fitch had a found quarter and a new outlook. The world had shifted under his feet, and he wasn’t sure how or when.
Created on Tue Feb 16 13:31:28 EST 2021 (updated Tue Feb 23 12:54:05 EST 2021)

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