Swindle: Chapters 1–3

by Gordon Korman
Eleven-year-old Griffin hatches a plan to retrieve his prized baseball card from a swindler.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–21, Chapters 22–32
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. agonize
    suffer anguish
    When a plan came from Griffin Bing, even the tiniest detail had to be perfect. He’d agonized over every fine point and possibility.
  2. remnant
    a piece of cloth left over after the rest has been used
    They were surrounded by shredded drapery, remnants of ancient furnishings, and mounds of dust.
  3. cavernous
    being or suggesting a large dark enclosed space
    All around them, the cavernous old house creaked and groaned with hollow, eerie noises.
  4. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    Griffin trained the beam of his flashlight on his wristwatch: 10:34 p.m. “I can’t believe it,” he seethed. “How could we get nobody? Twenty-eight people said they were coming!”
  5. stoutly
    in a resolute manner
    “We’ll know,” Griffin said stoutly, sticking out his jaw.
  6. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “This house is supposed to be haunted,” Ben insisted. “You know the rumors.”
    “What rumors?” Griffin scoffed.
  7. supernatural
    not able to be explained by physical laws
    He peered around at the shadowed walls, as if expecting to see something supernatural and hideous coming through.
  8. eaves
    the overhang at the lower edge of a roof
    A gust of wind blew through the eaves, and an unearthly moaning sound echoed around them.
  9. unearthly
    suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
    A gust of wind blew through the eaves, and an unearthly moaning sound echoed around them.
  10. gutless
    lacking courage
    Griffin panned the crumbling walls with his flashlight. “It’s almost eleven. Nobody’s coming. Gutless wonders.”
  11. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Griffin stayed up because he was mulling over the reason he and Ben were camping out with dust bunnies and a century of supernatural speculation.
  12. speculation
    a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
    Griffin stayed up because he was mulling over the reason he and Ben were camping out with dust bunnies and a century of supernatural speculation.
  13. fateful
    having momentous consequences; of decisive importance
    As soon as the town had announced the meeting to decide what would be done with the Rockford land, Griffin had spoken those five fateful words: “Let’s work out a plan.”
  14. rankle
    make resentful or angry
    It still rankled Griffin. Not losing. Sure, that had been disappointing. But to be ignored completely, brushed off like a mosquito, just because you were young, was unbearable.
  15. scalloped
    decorated with a margin or border of semicircles
    Full-on terror rocked him. The flashlight dropped from his hand, and the room was plunged into sudden darkness. He slapped desperately at his head as the attacker beat its scalloped wings, burrowing into Griffin’s thick curls, squeaking and screeching.
  16. frenzy
    state of violent mental agitation
    In his frenzy, Griffin tripped over his own flashlight and went down, wrapping himself in cobwebs as he rolled wildly around on the floor.
  17. assailant
    someone who attacks
    He touched short fur, rubbery skin, and sharp clinging claws, but his slippery assailant resisted his grasping fingers.
  18. disentangle
    extricate from a twisted mass
    The creature managed to disentangle itself and flew off, leaving Griffin writhing there.
  19. writhing
    moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
    The creature managed to disentangle itself and flew off, leaving Griffin writhing there.
  20. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
    Get it out of your head, he admonished himself.
  21. philosophy
    any personal belief about how to live
    His philosophy: If you want something, you make it happen.
  22. tantalizing
    arousing desire or expectation for something unattainable
    Yet the tantalizing image would not let go of him—his family’s financial problems over, no more dark circles under his parents’ eyes from staying up half the night, trying to squeeze money out of a bank account that had none to give....
  23. dilapidated
    in a state of decay, ruin, or deterioration
    He managed to focus enough to take in the sight of the dilapidated parlor around him.
  24. clamorous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
    The entire house was vibrating with the clamorous thrum of the crane.
  25. thrum
    a low, continuous sound
    The entire house was vibrating with the clamorous thrum of the crane.
  26. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    The impact pitched Griffin out the window, sending him sprawling on top of Ben.
  27. spur
    incite or stimulate
    The two kept up a lung-searing sprint for several minutes, spurred on by a series of loud booms behind them.
  28. ruefully
    in a manner expressing pain or sorrow
    He regarded the card ruefully. “The Sandwich of Champions? It’s probably not valuable. I never get that lucky.”
  29. emporium
    a large shop organized into sections
    Ben’s eyes widened. “Palomino’s Emporium?”
  30. appraisal
    an expert estimation of the quality of something
    Griffin smiled bravely. “We’ll get an appraisal.”
  31. memorabilia
    objects that are valued because of their link to historical events or a particular interest
    Palomino’s Emporium of Collectibles and Memorabilia was a fortress unto itself.
  32. vintage
    old but having enduring appeal or importance; classic
    VINTAGE ITEMS BOUGHT & SOLD
    BEST PRICES GUARANTEED
    S. WENDELL PALOMINO, OWNER AND PROPRIETOR
  33. proprietor
    someone who owns a business
    VINTAGE ITEMS BOUGHT & SOLD
    BEST PRICES GUARANTEED
    S. WENDELL PALOMINO, OWNER AND PROPRIETOR
  34. knickknack
    a small, inexpensive decorative object
    There were no rows of shelves cluttered with books, toys, knickknacks, cards, and souvenirs.
  35. cadaverous
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    A tall, cadaverous man with a ring of white hair around a bald crown walked over to him.
  36. crestfallen
    brought low in spirit
    Ben took in the crestfallen look on Griffin’s face. “Nineteen-sixty-seven was a long time ago,” he said hopefully. “So it’s still a little bit valuable, right?”
  37. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
    Griffin sighed, his visions of solving the family’s money woes popping like soap bubbles.
  38. acquisition
    something gained
    The boys peered over the counter as he stooped to turn the dial of a portable safe on the floor at his feet. He opened the door and locked his new acquisition inside.
  39. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    Palomino beckoned the two boys behind the counter. “All right, you guys. Give it a try.”
  40. unnerve
    disturb the composure of
    There was something unnerving about Palomino’s Emporium—almost as if the store had its own energy field.
Created on Mon Jul 26 19:48:54 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Aug 02 11:42:52 EDT 2021)

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