This Poison Heart: Chapters 9–15

by Kalynn Bayron
Following her aunt's death, Bri must learn to control her unique and deadly magical gift to conquer dark forces and protect her family.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–15, Chapters 16–22, Chapters 23–31
40 words 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. quaint
    attractively old-fashioned
    “This is so...” Mo searched for the right words to describe it.
    “Quaint?” Mom offered.
    Mo’s eyebrow shot up. “I was gonna say white but I guess quaint works too.”
  2. shaft
    a column of light
    Dust floated in the shafts of sunlight shining through the shop window.
  3. hardiness
    the property of being physically strong and healthy
    “This thing was dead.”
    I tried to think of some excuse for its hardiness that sounded halfway true.
  4. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
    “Cacti are pretty resilient. They can go without water for a really long time.”
  5. nonchalantly
    in a composed and unconcerned manner
    “We practically had to use a paintbrush to put on the ointment,” Mo said as she nonchalantly scanned the menu.
  6. manifest
    reveal its presence or make an appearance
    They’d always been supportive, but they didn’t know all the ways this power could manifest, and neither did I.
  7. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    I didn’t know if me and my parents were staying and if we were, would a friendship with him be any different from Gabby or Marlon when he inevitably found out what I could do?
  8. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    A tree stood in the center, its gnarled trunk—as wide as a car—led up to a canopy that fanned out like a giant umbrella.
  9. spigot
    a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid
    Several watering cans of various sizes littered the ground. A rusted spigot stuck out of the wall.
  10. writhing
    moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
    The wall itself was blanketed in a writhing mass of black vines dotted with dark purple leaves and crimson thorns.
  11. subside
    wear off or die down
    The feeling slowly subsided, leaving a tingling sensation on the inside of my nose and mouth.
  12. scaffold
    provide with a temporary arrangement for support
    What I thought were the tangled limbs of trees outside the garden was actually a canopy of twisted nettles, ivy, and roses—with petals as black as ink, thorns longer than my fingers—interlaced with a scaffolding of curved metal arches.
  13. coherent
    capable of thinking in a clear and consistent manner
    We’ll question him when he’s more coherent.
  14. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    The entire walk back to the house, tangles of poisonous plants undulated along the ground, a shallow wave of green and black leaves and gleaming thorns.
  15. stately
    refined or imposing in manner or appearance
    We drove past a stately house with a sign that read Beekman Arms Inn.
  16. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    “Oh,” I said, picking up on the ruse. “Good idea.”
  17. drab
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    The drab monochrome decor made the space feel cramped.
  18. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
    “I’m sorry. You look so much like her. It’s uncanny.”
  19. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    Mo’s mouth curved into an ecstatic grin.
  20. emblazon
    decorate, adorn, or inscribe with a design
    At the very top, a key crossed by two torches was emblazoned in intricate detail.
  21. tome
    a large and scholarly book
    The entire tome was dedicated to the making of herbal remedies for ailments ranging from PMS to arthritis.
  22. tincture
    a medicine consisting of an extract in an alcohol solution
    There were salves for bruises and rashes, tinctures for upset stomachs and headaches.
  23. curator
    the custodian of a collection, as a museum or library
    She was a curator at the Brooklyn Museum for a few years.
  24. striking
    having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
    She was the most striking person I’d ever seen. Her skin was the deep umber color of autumn leaves, and her silver-gray hair was slicked back, gathered behind her neck in a mass of tight coils.
  25. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    She made a noise like a cough, but when I looked, she stood stoic, thoughtful.
  26. flourish
    make steady progress
    “But imagine telling someone they’re beautiful, magnetic, stunning. Every single day. Imagine how they’d flourish.”
  27. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    Mom and Mo talked excitedly as they meandered upstairs and into their room for the night.
  28. subsequent
    following in time or order
    I waited for the metal on metal grinding as the flue opened and braced myself for the subsequent shower of dead birds and leaves.
  29. tarnish
    make or become dirty or dull, as by exposure to air
    It was bigger than the ones in the turret and set in a heavy, silver frame that was tarnished with age.
  30. billowing
    characterized by great swelling waves or surges
    A woman dressed in billowing black robes stood directly behind Medea.
  31. lustrous
    made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing
    She had a jet-black mass of thick, lustrous hair framing her head.
  32. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    Set among the valleys and peaks of her natural hair was a crown of golden gilded rays.
  33. profound
    far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect
    The other portraits had made me nervous, like Medea was watching my every move, but this painting stirred in me a profound sense of unease.
  34. piercing
    very perceptive
    Their slightly parted lips and piercing stares gave me the unshakable feeling that they were waiting for me to do something.
  35. wispy
    thin and weak
    A half hour later, our blackened waffles were in the trash and the windows were open so the wispy clouds of gray smoke could escape.
  36. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    He coughed over and over again and his eyes watered profusely.
  37. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    A frenzied sort of energy permeated the air as tangles of vines and Devil’s Pet began to unfurl from the tops of the walls.
  38. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
    Rust-colored water shot out in sporadic bursts until it started to flow even and clear.
  39. acacia
    any of various spiny trees or shrubs
    I watered the acacia tree until the ground at its roots was soaked.
  40. infusion
    the act of introducing a modifying element or quality
    The plants in the Poison Garden grew with their infusions of rainwater and dew, but they took their time.
Created on Fri Sep 23 13:15:08 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Oct 04 13:25:54 EDT 2022)

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