Fourth Grade Rats: Chapters 8–14

by Jerry Spinelli
In this sequel to Third Grade Angels, Suds Morton tries to take his first steps to becoming a man by acting tough and mean.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–14
25 words 14 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. cassette
    a flat case holding magnetic tape for playing sound or video
    We stuck my E.T. cassette in our VCR and ran it FAST FORWARD to where E.T. dies, or everybody thinks he dies.
  2. gallows
    an instrument from which a person is executed by hanging
    I went upstairs like I was walking to the gallows. Even more than spiders, I’m scared of high places.
  3. condition
    a statement of what is required as part of an agreement
    I finally agreed to do it under two conditions: (1) I take off my shoes and socks to get a better grip on the roof, (2) we tie me to a rope.
  4. shingle
    building material used as siding or roofing
    I sat on the roof. I dug my fingers and toes and rear end into the pebbly shingles.
  5. hallucination
    illusory perception
    The look on her face said: I’m imagining I see my brother hanging from the roof. I’m having a hallucination.
  6. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    I got up. I slunk away. Kids were laughing.
  7. spasm
    a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
    Bubba was going into spasms over the cake scene.
  8. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    Suddenly I was on the floor, and the mousetrap was on my big toe. I pried it off.
  9. heave
    throw with great effort
    I heaved the trap down the hallway.
  10. rampage
    violently angry and destructive behavior
    For the next two days, I went on a rampage.
    If I saw a little kid with a Twinkie I wanted, I snatched it from him.
    If I saw a little kid on a swing, I pushed him off, whether I wanted to use it or not.
  11. detention
    a punishment in which a student must stay after school
    I laughed in class during Silent Reading. The teacher told me to stop. I kept laughing. She gave me a detention after school.
  12. punt
    kick the ball
    “You’re outta here.” I opened my window and punted him into the backyard.
  13. daze
    confusion characterized by lack of clarity
    But I was only half hearing. I was in a daze. I just kept looking at her beautiful face and thinking, Man! Wow! I’m walking to school with Judy Billings! I don’t believe it!
  14. gutter
    a channel at the edge of a street for carrying off surface water
    We started searching the gutter and sidewalk and the walls of people’s houses.
  15. anxious
    eagerly desirous
    She asked if I wanted to come in for a Popsicle. I said sure. I wasn’t too anxious to go home anyway, with my mom waiting for me.
  16. streak
    move quickly in a straight line
    As she opened her front door, something gray streaked past my feet.
  17. thimble
    a small metal cap to protect the finger while sewing
    Far, far below me, the trash can seemed like a thimble.
  18. blubber
    cry or whine with snuffling
    I tried to answer, but only tears came out. I blubbered like a baby.
  19. snivel
    cry or whine with snuffling
    “Sorry I gave you a hard time this morning,” I sniveled.
  20. muss
    make messy or untidy
    Mrs. Peterson mussed my hair.
  21. discipline
    punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience
    Plus she didn’t want to discipline him in front of you. But when her patience ran out, that was it. Curtains for Joey the rat.
  22. shenanigan
    reckless or malicious behavior that causes annoyance
    It was his mother who was sick. Sick of his shenanigans. She kept him home to clean up his room. And his tattoos. And his act.
  23. dumbfounded
    as if rendered speechless with astonishment and surprise
    She shook her head. She was dumbfounded. “I’m afraid to ask if there’s anything else.”
  24. quiver
    shake with fast, tremulous movements
    My lip was quivering. “It’s no fun being a rat.”
  25. nestle
    move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position
    I climbed onto his lap. I hadn’t done that for a long time. I nestled into him.
Created on Sat Apr 29 11:47:02 EDT 2023 (updated Sat Apr 29 15:35:52 EDT 2023)

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.