Anya and the Nightingale: Chapters 7–11

by Sofiya Pasternack
Anya, Ivan, and the magical dragon set out on a mission to bring Anya's father home from war, but during their journey, they encounter the Nightingale — a monster who is terrorizing travelers in the forest.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapters 19–28, Chapters 29–39
40 words 12 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. nicker
    make a soft sound characteristic of a horse
    Alsvindr nickered at her from his lean-to barn as she passed it. He had been Sigurd’s warhorse, but Kin had adopted him after Sigurd was gone.
  2. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    She maneuvered the quiver to a good position, where she could reach her meager handful of arrows easily.
  3. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
    She used the high saddle and robust stirrups to hold herself steady.
  4. canter
    go at a smooth three-beat gait, of horses
    Alsvindr would have run forever if not for the trees. He turned a sharp left and cantered around the perimeter of the field, snorting with annoyance at the trees blocking his path.
  5. shaft
    a long rod or pole, especially the body of a weapon
    They were magic arrows, but the shafts were still regular wood, and breakable.
  6. logistics
    supplying an operation with labor and materials as needed
    She let her feet take her home while her mind was busy mulling over the logistics of going to Rûm.
  7. amicable
    characterized by friendship and good will
    He was always amicable when Dyedka slipped it on him, but she hadn’t ever tried to do it herself.
  8. buffet
    strike against forcefully
    One wing smacked her in the face. The force of his flight buffeted her back, and she watched him climb into the sky, over the trees, and then he was gone into the cooling day.
  9. respectively
    in the order given
    Babulya and Dyedka sat at the table, silent, knitting and whittling, respectively.
  10. flourish
    a showy gesture
    With a flourish, he folded the dress into a compact square, then dried a second dress and folded it.
  11. composed
    serenely self-possessed and free from agitation
    When she felt composed enough to speak again, she said thickly, “I’m going to get him.”
  12. accost
    approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently
    Anya waited outside, not wanting to get accosted by his brothers or held up for some reason.
  13. challah
    (Judaism) a braided loaf of white bread containing eggs
    She had known Ivan and Håkon for less than a year, but they were like a challah plait. The strands started separately, and wove together, but as they spent time twined together, the dough merged. Trying to unplait the bread would just result in a huge mess.
  14. unencumbered
    free of anything that impedes or is burdensome
    Håkon, unencumbered with a bag at all, took time to investigate every tree they passed, every little puddle, every mound of dirt.
  15. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    And Håkon wasn’t exactly subtle, with his ruby-red scales and twisting horns.
  16. lax
    wanting in strength or firmness or resilience
    Anya lowered the bow and let the string go lax.
  17. hodgepodge
    a motley assortment of things
    The pile was a hodgepodge of the things they had worn into Lena’s hut, but also new coats and hats that didn’t belong to them.
  18. threadbare
    thin and tattered with age
    His clothing was too big for him, threadbare, and he wore oversize, scuffed boots.
  19. smattering
    a small number or amount
    A smattering of freckles colored the rosy skin at the tops of his cheeks.
  20. agape
    with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe
    She just stared at him with her mouth hanging open. Ivan stood by, equally agape.
  21. keen
    express grief verbally
    He kicked one foot and started keening, like he was going to scream again.
  22. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “You haven’t even seen it,” Ivan scoffed.
  23. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    Anya hooked her hands under his shoulder and tugged him, trying to prompt him to sit up.
  24. exertion
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
    Håkon was panting from the exertion of walking in his new body, so they let him sit on the road to recover.
  25. scrawl
    write carelessly
    Anya read the scrawled message out loud: “'Beware. Keep Out. Go Around.’”
  26. gaunt
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    He was angular, gaunt almost, and not at all dressed for the season in a dirty, torn rubakha and leg wraps.
  27. cant
    lean or slope to one side
    “There’s nothing here,” Håkon muttered, canting to the side.
  28. agog
    highly excited
    Anya stared agog at the hole. She had never heard of sound magic before, and seeing what it could do made her breath stick in her throat.
  29. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    Sigurd’s ghost leered at her from the back of her mind. “You’ll all die this time.”
  30. cowl
    a loose hood or hooded robe
    The torchbearer pulled her cowl down and let it rest under her chin.
  31. invoke
    cite as an authority
    Anya wondered if invoking his father’s name was going to cause trouble for Ivan’s family at all.
  32. leeway
    a permissible difference
    “Are we in much trouble?”
    Mikhail looked forward again. “I think your friend being sick is going to get you some leeway. But the tsar closed off this road for a reason. For safety.”
  33. writhing
    moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
    The princess still held up the torch, fiery and writhing in the wind.
  34. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
    She turned to look at the trees. No insidious movement drew her eye.
  35. vanguard
    the leading units moving at the head of an army
    “We’re her vanguard. We have special permission.”
  36. commission
    place an order for
    “Tsar Kazimir has commissioned hundreds of new churches across the kingdom.”
  37. crest
    reach a high point
    They crested the road, emerging onto the tallest part of the city.
  38. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    Servants materialized to take the armor away from her.
  39. betrothal
    a mutual promise to marry
    “His Majesty is preparing for your betrothal banquet tonight. He has invited your fiancé—”
  40. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    The princess and the doorman held each other’s eyes for a few breaths, one furious and the other smug.
Created on Thu May 12 13:58:27 EDT 2022 (updated Mon May 23 09:21:04 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.