The Last Mapmaker: Chapters 14–22

by Christina Soontornvat
In the Kingdom of Mangkon, twelve-year-old Sodsai Mudawan lies about her family's background so that she could have a chance at a bright future.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–13, Chapters 14–22, Chapters 23–30, Chapters 31–42
40 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. thrum
    a low, continuous sound
    I could feel some unspoken tension among them, like a low, steady thrum.
  2. tranquil
    free from disturbance by heavy waves
    We were crossing the tranquil Green Sea. Aside from the occasional dolphin or whale breaching the surface, the water was almost as calm as a lake.
  3. hardy
    able to survive under unfavorable weather conditions
    The top of my nose burned and peeled, and my skin turned sala fruit brown. I would never fit in with the pale Assistants back in Mangkon now, but I almost didn’t care. I was slowly becoming sea hardy, and I liked it.
  4. wake
    the wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward
    Our task is to follow in the wake of those who sailed before us.
  5. quirk
    twist or curve abruptly
    His mustache quirked from side to side, and I knew he was trying to hide his own smile.
  6. genuinely
    in accordance with truth or fact or reality
    In fact, I think I could have been genuinely happy with my life on the Prosperity if it hadn’t been for two things.
  7. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    No matter how hard I tried to put it out of my mind, I couldn’t stop thinking about my inevitable return to An Lung. I racked my brain, but I couldn’t come up with a new plan to avoid eventually going back to the Fens.
  8. swindle
    deprive of by deceit
    “Tell me what you buy in the market. And don’t let anyone swindle you!”
  9. shanty
    a small crude shelter used as a dwelling
    Open-front shanties sold everything from pearl-handled swords to tea infused with real gold.
  10. delicacy
    something considered choice to eat
    “At least have a bite to eat. My treat. Try the roasted octopus. It’s a local delicacy.”
  11. scurvy
    a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid
    “Limes and wort, to fight off scurvy,” shouted one.
  12. clod
    an awkward, foolish person
    She shook her fist at him, shouting, “My dragon scales! You’ll pay for that, you clod!”
  13. scuffle
    disorderly fighting
    There was more shouting from people on the sides of the street, a scuffle, and then the crowd parted to let the two men back through.
  14. urchin
    a poor and often mischievous city child
    “Curse all you want, urchin,” said the policeman.
  15. excursion
    a journey taken for pleasure
    Whatever she’d seen or eaten during her excursion to Pitaya hadn’t been good.
  16. bleak
    unpleasantly cold and damp
    We had left the calm turquoise waters behind us, and I took my wool cloak out of the trunk in my room for the first time. The cold, bleak days when I would need it still lay ahead of us, but we were barreling straight for that future.
  17. prow
    the front part of a vessel
    One afternoon, when I had finished taking the readings for Master Paiyoon, I spotted her standing on the forecastle deck, the small deck at the prow of the ship.
  18. refute
    prove to be false or incorrect
    TO MARK MANGKON’S new Era of Discovery, it is her Royal Majesty’s express wish to confirm or refute, for once and for all, the existence of a Great Southern Continent, and to claim it in the name of Mangkon if found.
  19. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    She kept her cool composure, but underneath all that polish was a restlessness I hadn’t noticed before.
  20. barge
    push one's way
    One worrying thought kept barging its way in past the other shimmery ones: Why hadn’t Master Paiyoon said anything about this part of the expedition?
  21. starboard
    located on the right side of a ship or aircraft
    I had nearly given up when I caught a flash of movement between large piles of coiled rope and nets on the starboard side.
  22. flog
    beat with a whip, rod, or cane
    “What’s it matter? I’m good as dead now anyway. And the captain’ll flog me first before throwing me over.”
  23. harbor
    secretly shelter, as a fugitive or criminal
    I could now add “harboring a stowaway” to my long list of accomplishments.
  24. dainty
    affectedly refined
    “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend your dainty ears.”
  25. ideal
    conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection
    I know it’s not ideal down here, but you just have to last a few more weeks.
  26. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    He stared back at me, looking as defiant as the day he tried to pick my pocket.
  27. dank
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    I glanced around the dank hold. It truly was a wretched place. I didn’t want to be there for five more minutes, and Bo had existed like this for days.
  28. curt
    brief and to the point
    Finally, he gave me a curt, apologetic bow.
  29. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    Paiyoon smiled wistfully. “My grandfather gave it to me when I graduated school, just as his grandfather had given it to him.”
  30. lilt
    a jaunty rhythm in music or speech
    “Well? What do you see?” he asked with a nervous lilt to his voice.
  31. bog
    get stuck while doing something
    I’d like us to sail southeast for Lontain so that we can avoid getting bogged down in the Whorls, and then we can break the fiftieth parallel from there.
  32. mystical
    beyond ordinary understanding
    “Now, isn’t that convenient? That this mystical hidden continent that no one has ever seen just so happens to be located in the center of an uncrossable ocean?”
  33. stoke
    increase or intensify an emotion or response
    The Harbinger Sea has a dreadful reputation among sailors. The last thing the captain wants is to stoke their fears.
  34. hardscrabble
    involving struggle, difficulties, or poverty
    That explained Bo’s hardscrabble life. By the War’s end, Amnaj, Mangkon’s tiny ally, had been nearly destroyed by Hinmak forces, and anyone left alive had fled in boats.
  35. casual
    marked by a lack of concern
    They looked like actors, each playing a part that didn’t come naturally to them: Rian was trying very hard to be taken seriously, while the serious Paiyoon leaned against the rail, trying to act casual.
  36. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Paiyoon’s smile was kind but also a little insulting. As if Rian were a toddler who had to be coaxed away from a plate of cookies.
  37. awl
    a pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching holes
    Then he’d creep to Paiyoon’s cabin and use a sail mender’s awl to pick the lock.
  38. founder
    sink below the surface
    “They foundered in a storm past Fahlin. The winds blew them due south and west, where they sighted land—or at least they thought they had.”
  39. crest
    the top or extreme point of something
    Two of the crew on watch spotted crests at the horizon. First mate says it’s whales, but we all know it’s the Slake of the Sea.
  40. expanse
    a wide and open space or area, as of land, sea, or sky
    I waved my hand over the blank expanse of the Harbinger Sea on my chart.
Created on Sat Mar 25 13:27:09 EDT 2023 (updated Tue Mar 28 16:14:12 EDT 2023)

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