The One and Only Ivan: List 2

by Katherine Applegate
Inspired by true events, this award-winning novel by Katherine Applegate tells the story of a captive gorilla and the elephant he befriends.

This list covers "The Grunt"–Colors."

Here are links to links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3
20 words 867 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. nimble
    moving quickly and lightly
    Stella moves to George’s left pocket and discovers a carrot. Nimbly she removes it.
  2. fleck
    make a spot or mark onto
    The dawn sky is a smudge of gray flecked with pink, like a picture drawn with two crayons.
  3. flashy
    tastelessly showy
    By the time I’m done, the first streaks of morning sun have appeared in flashy cartoon colors.
  4. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    She studies it intently, her head turned so that one black eye is trained on my drawing.
  5. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    She makes a happy, lilting sound, an elephant laugh.
  6. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    I can’t hear all of his words, but I can see George’s lips tighten into a grim line.
  7. addled
    confused and vague; used especially of thinking
    “I don’t know what I was thinking. The pain is making me addled.”
  8. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    When I gaze at the food-court skylight, the moon Stella loved is shrouded in clouds.
  9. squabble
    argue over petty things
    We squabbled now and then, as families will.
  10. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    Slowly, carefully, a young gorilla begins to venture farther and farther away from the safety of his mother’s arms.
  11. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    It was Mack who pried open that crate, Mack who bought me, and Mack who raised me like a human baby.
  12. still life
    a painting of inanimate objects such as fruit or flowers
    “This is fine art. It’s called a ‘still life,’” Helen explained. “And I think it’s lovely.”
  13. bedraggled
    limp, untidy, and soiled
    It had a pony ride, a wooden train that bustled around the parking lot, a few bedraggled parrots, and a surly spider monkey.
  14. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
    It had a pony ride, a wooden train that bustled around the parking lot, a few bedraggled parrots, and a surly spider monkey.
  15. sullen
    showing a brooding ill humor
    Mack grew sullen.
  16. dainty
    affectedly refined
    I did my best to eat daintily.
  17. flank
    the side between ribs and hipbone
    Sometimes Mack slaps her flank with his hand.
  18. solemnly
    in a serious and dignified manner
    “Yes,” he says solemnly.
  19. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    When the brush meets the damp paper, pink petals of color unfurl like morning flowers.
  20. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    Gingerly I pick up the paper.
Created on Wed Oct 20 17:43:58 EDT 2021 (updated Mon May 09 15:16:52 EDT 2022)

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