When Zachary Beaver Came to Town: Chapters 15–22

by Kimberly Willis Holt
In this coming-of-age story, a thirteen-year-old boy learns about loss and friendship over the course of one eventful summer.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–14, Chapters 15–22
25 words 70 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jowl
    a looseness of the flesh of the lower cheek and jaw
    His heavy cheeks sag down to his jowls, giving him a bulldog look.
  2. turmoil
    violent agitation
    "No need to be ashamed. Every Christian goes through this time of turmoil."
  3. bound
    governed by fate
    He's bound to mention it.
  4. ulcer
    an inflammatory lesion resulting in decay of tissue
    Enough is going on in my life to give me ulcers, but right now I put everything aside because this moment only comes once a year.
  5. deliberate
    unhurried and with care and dignity
    "Cal will need you, Toby." His words are slow and deliberate, and I know he wants to add, You better be there, but he turns and leaves.
  6. hearse
    a vehicle for carrying a coffin to a church or a cemetery
    A hearse from Landry's Funeral Home is parked outside the McKnights'.
  7. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    A sheen of sweat covers his face, which is redder than his hair.
  8. septic
    containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms
    Coy pumps the septic tanks for the folks who live in the country around Antler, and right now his wide hose is attached to the bottom of the trailer.
  9. etiquette
    rules governing socially acceptable behavior
    "What side does the fork go on?" I ask him.
    "It don't matter. Just so you put it in grabbin' distance. I ain't had a customer complain about my table etiquette yet."
  10. obituary
    a notice of someone's death
    But his mother died two years ago—Iola Beaver. Found her in the New York Times obituaries.
  11. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    She walks out of the kitchen and out of the cafe, her sandals slapping the linoleum floor.
  12. downplay
    understate the importance or quality of
    "Nice house," he says.
    "Thanks. It's old." I try to downplay our home because I know Juan lives on the Mexican side of town, where the shabbiest houses are.
  13. petrify
    cause to become stunned or immobile, as with fear or awe
    Scarlett squeals and her grip tightens. It's hard to tell if she's petrified or loving the adventure.
  14. dinghy
    a small boat of shallow draft
    We sit across from each other in Dad's dinghy, which we've rowed to his favorite spot.
  15. reel
    winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle
    The fish pulls the slack out of his line, and Dad slowly turns the handle on his reel.
  16. murky
    cloudy, dirty, and difficult to see through
    But when he sees me, he keeps pedaling and doesn't stop even when he reaches the water. He plunges in, bike and all, disappearing under the murky surface.
  17. cicada
    stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings
    We just listen to the cicadas and the crickets while the setting sun beams down on our soaked bodies.
  18. conscience
    conformity to one's own sense of right conduct
    "Ferris, we need you. Please be there. Sundown at Gossimer Lake." I leave, hoping my words will bother his conscience.
  19. concordance
    an index of all words in a book along with their contexts
    I look up baptism in the concordance and find Scriptures about Jesus' baptism.
  20. righteousness
    the quality of adhering to moral principles
    Then Jesus says, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."
  21. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    "Need a ride?" he asks in a brittle, raspy whisper, and they're the first words I've heard Wylie Womack say in five years.
  22. tonic
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    As he nears, I notice he's clean shaven and his hair is slicked back with some kind of smelly tonic.
  23. plumb
    completely
    "He said he'd been plumb over in Paris getting a new act. Something about a bearded woman."
  24. ordinance
    a statute enacted by a city government
    "I ain't thought of a fine, seeing as no one ever broke that ordinance. I guess you can pick up around the lake for a week or two."
  25. caravan
    travel in a procession
    Cal, Zachary, and I sit in the bed with the crates and we caravan to the McKnights' cotton farm—Dad's truck in front, followed by the station wagon and Mr. Garcia's truck with the workers.
Created on Fri Aug 06 11:51:48 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Aug 09 11:10:32 EDT 2021)

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