Dog Squad: Chapters 16–30

by Chris Grabenstein
Fred is your average, lovable dog who looks like his favorite hero, Duke, on the crime-fighting hit show Dog Squad. When Duke needs a stand-in, Fred fills in for him and discovers that Dog Squad action doesn't always stop on the screen.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–15, Chapters 16–30, Chapters 31–46, Chapters 47–67, Chapter 68–Epilogue
35 words 34 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. fortify
    make strong or stronger
    He cautiously crept up to the porch and—after pausing to take in a deep, fortifying, leg-steadying breath—shimmied through Duke’s doggy door.
  2. babble
    talk foolishly
    “Oh, I will, boss,” said Scruffy. “I will. Gonna make a mental note...”
    While Scruffy babbled, Nala gave Fred a look. An eye roll.
  3. dismissive
    showing indifference or disregard
    "So," said Duke with a dismissive snicker, “I hear Jenny Yen thinks you look like me.” Fred nodded and gave an awkward smile.
  4. converse
    carry on a discussion
    “Um, it’s Fred, sir.”
    “So? I don’t need to know your name because we’re never going to converse again. Got it?” Fred’s body and spirit drooped. This was not how he’d pictured this conversation going. Not at all.
  5. obnoxious
    causing disapproval or protest
    “But he’s Duke,” said Fred. “He’s the most heroic dog in the world.”
    “Yep,” said Scruffy. “And he’s also the most obnoxious dog in the world.”
  6. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
    “Um, I’m not really Duke. I’m Fred. Duke’s double.”
    “Really? My, what an uncanny resemblance. I’m Reginald Farnsworth of Collingwood the Fourth. I’m a purebred. A true golden.”
    “And a true prima donna,” sniped Scruffy out of the side of his snout.
  7. prima donna
    a vain and temperamental person
    “Um, I’m not really Duke. I’m Fred. Duke’s double.”
    “Really? My, what an uncanny resemblance. I’m Reginald Farnsworth of Collingwood the Fourth. I’m a purebred. A true golden.”
    “And a true prima donna,” sniped Scruffy out of the side of his snout.
  8. anticipation
    an expectation
    “I love peanut butter,” said Fred, licking his chops.
    “Then today’s your lucky day,” said Scruffy. “Just wait for Jenny to give us our cue.”
    “Anticipation of pleasure is a pleasure in itself,” Nala remarked wisely.
  9. reluctant
    not eager
    The three dogs sat, waiting for Reginald to complete his walk down the red carpet. But he seemed reluctant to come any closer. Abby tugged on his leash.
  10. jeer
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    The crowd grew restless.
    “Make a taco!” someone jeered.
    “Save me fifteen percent on my car insurance!” shouted someone else. “Open up the door to the home of my dreams!”
  11. teeter
    move unsteadily, with a rocking motion
    The stacks started teetering.
    Fred looked up. The pile on the right was about to topple over.
    And crush the baby stroller parked right beside it!
  12. underestimate
    make too low an approximation of
    “I underestimated you, Frederick,” said Reginald.
    “I was just, you know, following my instincts,” Fred said modestly.
  13. modest
    humble in spirit or manner
    “I underestimated you, Frederick,” said Reginald.
    “I was just, you know, following my instincts,” Fred said modestly.
  14. expectant
    marked by eager anticipation
    Scruffy and Nala turned to Fred.
    Abby whirled around in the passenger seat.
    Jenny looked up in the rearview mirror.
    They were all smiling expectantly at Fred.
  15. disillusion
    free from enchantment
    The truth was, their first visit had been more than disappointing. It had been downright disillusioning. If Fred couldn’t believe in his hero, who could he believe in?
  16. skedaddle
    run away, as if in a panic
    “Let’s skedaddle, guys,” said Scruffy. “It’s dinnertime up at the bungalow.”
    Nala, Scruffy, and Reginald bopped up the hill to the doghouse the three stars shared.
  17. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    Duke, wearing a sleep mask, was sprawled out in his dog bed. His chin was propped on the plaster cast covering his front right leg.
  18. rhetorical question
    an inquiry that is not supposed to be answered
    "...If she can communicate with animals, how come she can’t hear me telling her to knock it off?”
    “I don’t—”
    “That was a rhetorical question—meaning I’m not really interested in hearing an answer from you.”
  19. blubber
    cry or whine with snuffling
    “Because, well, it’s only for a little while, until, you know, you get better....”
    “What are you blubbering about?”
    Fred blurted it out. “Jenny wants me to fill in for you on Dog Squad.”
  20. charade
    an imitation that humorously misrepresents something
    “Well, like I said, it’s only temporary. Now, could you show me how to do some of your other heroic poses?”
    “Not. Going. To. Happen. I will not take part in this charade. I am the one and only Duke. You are a fraud. A phony! And a fake!”
  21. skitter
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    “Get your ugly snout outta my house! And don’t come back!”
    Fred skittered out of the doghouse with his tail tucked between his legs.
  22. silhouette
    an outline of a solid object as cast by its shadow
    Jenny pulled the van into a slanted parking spot in front of a very modern-looking building with giant silhouettes of a dog and cat flanking a heart on its tallest wall.
  23. neutralize
    make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of
    The Dog Squad was there to pull the plug and “neutralize his ray gun—before the madman ruins satellite TV for everyone. It’s football season!”
  24. awestruck
    having a feeling of mixed reverence and wonder and dread
    Awestruck, Tater just sighed.
    “Hey, Tater,” said Fred. “How’d you like to be on TV?”
    “With you?”
    “Yep. Plus Nala and Scruffy, of course.”
  25. stockade
    fortification consisting of a fence set firmly for defense
    As his snout was about to smack into the wall, he sprang up, pushed off the ground, and soared like a furry rocket over the pointy tips of the stockade fence.
  26. toddle
    walk unsteadily
    He whipped around the corner of the building. He could see Tater, toddling across the busy street.
  27. waft
    blow gently
    Fred sniffed the breeze.
    There were a lot of aromas wafting in the wind. Salt. Water. Sand. Sandwich. Something with sausage. Onions and green peppers, too.
  28. frolic
    play boisterously
    Fred let his nose take the lead. He spied Tater down on the beach, frolicking where the sand was gray and wet.
  29. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    Fred didn’t have time to think, only to act.
    Another blast of instinct and adrenaline fueled Fred’s next move.
  30. splatter
    dash a liquid upon or against
    Fred stood up and gave himself a good shake. Water droplets splattered Tater in the face.
  31. execute
    carry out or perform an action
    (Tater crawled under the fence; Fred executed another Nala-style high jump.)
  32. pamper
    treat with excessive indulgence
    Dog Squad would be shooting most of its next episode on location at someplace called the Four Paws Spa, a “Luxury Pet Pampering Boutique.”
  33. sinister
    wicked, evil, or dishonorable
    In the script, the spa was the front for a sinister criminal mastermind who was spying on very important people by planting listening devices on their pets.
  34. agile
    moving quickly and lightly
    “I choose not to eat table scraps,” said Nala. “I need to stay in tip-top condition at all times.”
    “I don’t,” laughed Scruffy. “I’m the funny sidekick, not the agile and athletic one.”
  35. glitz
    extravagant showiness that is tasteless or superficial
    “Five a.m.?” said Fred.
    “Yep. That’s when we head to the set. Starring in a TV show isn’t all glitz and glamour. Okay, it’s mostly glitz and glamour, but you also have to wake up early.”
Created on Wed May 04 20:09:02 EDT 2022 (updated Tue May 17 14:53:57 EDT 2022)

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.