Turtle in Paradise: Chapters 7–9

by Jennifer L. Holm
During the Great Depression, an eleven-year-old girl tackles challenges and finds adventure when she moves in with relatives in Key West, Florida.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–18
25 words 83 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. maneuver
    move skillfully, as around obstacles or into a position
    The men maneuver smoothly around the boat, adjusting sails, tightening lines.
  2. mutiny
    open rebellion against constituted authority
    "Just as long as it’s not Beans," I say. "Or else you’ll have a mutiny on your hands.”
  3. dinghy
    a small boat of shallow draft
    Ollie tosses in the anchor and Slow Poke and I climb down into a little dinghy.
  4. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    “I thought you said you could swim like a fish,” Slow Poke chides me.
  5. cistern
    an artificial reservoir for storing liquids
    Slow Poke turns to Ollie and says, “I want to check on the cistern.”
  6. shackle
    a restraint that confines or restricts freedom
    “It's a genuine pirate death trap. Pirates would shackle rivals to this rock and let them drown in the incoming tide. That spike held the iron shackles.”
  7. ruthless
    without mercy or pity
    He looks out at the water. “Black Caesar was a ruthless pirate who buried his treasure here in the Keys."
  8. scrounge
    obtain or seek to obtain by begging, pleading, or flattering
    Someone’s always fighting, or not talking to someone else, or scrounging around trying to borrow money.
  9. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “You just gonna leave him?” I ask. “What if somebody takes him?”
    Beans scoffs. “Who’d want him?”
  10. jut
    extend out or project in space
    "I don’t care,” he insists, his chin jutting out. “I ain’t going in!”
  11. hulk
    a ship that has been wrecked and abandoned
    Most of the parlor is taken up by a hulking piano that looks like it’s crumbling in places.
  12. salvage
    save from ruin, destruction, or harm
    Kermit explains, “When ships would wreck around Key West, he would salvage the cargo before it sank and then sell it off. Furniture, liquor, silk, jewelry, you name it. He was one of the richest men in Key West.”
  13. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    “I don’t understand,” I say. “What’s so scary about that old woman? She can barely talk.” Pork Chop guffaws.
  14. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    “That’s a lot of soap,” I say.
    “Old Nana Philly,” Kermit says almost wistfully. “Francis Street sure is a lot quieter these days.”
  15. wade
    walk through relatively shallow water
    I wade in up to my waist in a bathing suit that Aunt Minnie found for me.
  16. aground
    with the bottom lodged on land
    “When’d you get in from Miami?” Beans asks.
    “Last night. It took us forever to get home. The ferry ran aground.”
  17. sneer
    smile contemptuously
    “Guess you won’t steal next time,” I say.
    Beans sneers. “Next time we won’t get caught.”
  18. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    “All you need is a rock and string,” Ira says, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
  19. feign
    make believe with the intent to deceive
    Jelly comes walking down the lane. “You kids hear about the ghost at Miss Sugarapple's place?”
    Beans feigns ignorance. “What’s that, Jelly?”
  20. ignorance
    the lack of knowledge or education
    Jelly comes walking down the lane. “You kids hear about the ghost at Miss Sugarapple's place?”
    Beans feigns ignorance. “What’s that, Jelly?”
  21. menacing
    threatening evil or danger
    Pork Chop starts laughing and says in a low, menacing voice, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Diaper Gang knows!”
  22. lurk
    be about
    Pork Chop starts laughing and says in a low, menacing voice, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Diaper Gang knows!”
  23. hurtle
    move with or as if with a rushing sound
    The next afternoon we're sitting around having a cut-up when Kermit comes hurtling down the lane, waving a newspaper.
  24. outraged
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    “I wasn’t trying to communicate with you,” Pork Chop says in an outraged voice. "I was trying to scare you!”
  25. grudge
    a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
    “Boy, you sure do hold a grudge,” I say.
Created on Thu Sep 09 20:41:42 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Sep 20 13:28:48 EDT 2021)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.