1-2-3 Scream!: List 1

by R.U. Ginns
Warning: this collection of stories may cause readers ages eight to twelve to scream with both fear and laughter.

This list covers "Instagrave"–"The Boogerman."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3
40 words 401 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. perplexed
    full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
    “Wait. What?” asked Monica Green’s friend Isabel. She was staring at her phone with a perplexed look on her face.
  2. obelisk
    a stone pillar tapering towards a pyramidal top
    She saw an obelisk beside a crater. Words were carved into the narrow stone monument.
  3. memorial
    a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
    While a dozen kids gathered to peek at Solomon’s memorial, Monica stood back.
  4. socket
    a bony hollow into which a structure fits
    A creepy skull filled the screen. Red lights flashed in its eye sockets and...
  5. shrivel
    wither, as with a loss of moisture
    “My face is about to rot. One, two, three, four…”
    As her friend counted, the smiling face began to shrivel.
  6. pucker
    draw together into folds
    Monica watched as the skin puckered.
  7. chisel
    an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
    Drops of blood trickled from the top of the screen, and a hammer and chisel appeared.
  8. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    She dropped her hands to her sides, still clutching the phone, then trudged up the steps and headed down the aisle.
  9. severe
    extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
    Monica felt severely left out. Her classmates were going to be poisoned, flattened, and torn to pieces from the inside out by tree branches. What was going to be her fate?
  10. implement
    a piece of equipment or a tool used for a specific purpose
    Mikey, Emma, Kim, and Patrick were the worst of the worst, and they worked together like a fine-tuned implement of destruction.
  11. obliterate
    do away with completely, without leaving a trace
    He had exactly enough money for Super Nuclear Action Robot Force #15. He really needed to know how S.N.A.R.F. would save the planet from the Orbiting Obliterator.
  12. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    He picked the one on the left, pried open its door, and peeked inside.
  13. frayed
    worn away or tattered along the edges
    Busted computers filled the cabinet: a tangled mess of smashed screens, frayed cables, and chipped keyboards.
  14. hunch
    round one's back by bending forward
    The teacher hunched his shoulders nervously.
  15. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    Then he glared at the tattletale. Her knees shook.
  16. tuft
    a bunch or cluster of strands, as of grass, hair, etc.
    He pushed away thick tufts of cobwebs and looked behind the smelly carpet.
  17. punctuality
    the quality or habit of adhering to an appointed time
    Everyone knew Kim and Emma Rickles for their punctuality. If they threatened to dunk your head in the toilet at 9:15 a.m., your hair would be dripping wet by 9:16 a.m.
  18. cautious
    showing careful forethought
    Cautiously, he stepped out of the cabinet, stretching his cramped limbs.
  19. sludge
    any thick, viscous matter
    He bent down and looked more closely at the candy bar on the end of the row. Yellow sludge oozed from one corner of the wrapper.
  20. disintegrate
    break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity
    On the way to school, it started pouring rain, and Betsy got struck by lightning! Her shoes disintegrated, and she lost both of her eyebrows.
  21. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Sharp-looking horns jutted from its elbows.
  22. drone
    an aircraft without a pilot and operated by remote control
    They piloted drones and raced robot ponies.
  23. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    “And if you are reckless enough to sniff that pepper and say that name,” Connie continued, “don’t ever, ever blow your nose three times and look in a mirror!”
  24. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    He stomped down the steep hill and through the forest toward the main camp.
  25. cavernous
    being or suggesting a large dark enclosed space
    Sanjay kicked open the door to the bunkhouse. The bang echoed through the cavernous space.
  26. hideous
    so extremely ugly as to be terrifying
    A hideous head with a dozen eyes lurched toward him. Each eyeball twitched and stared at Sanjay from the end of a long, wriggling stalk.
  27. vat
    a large open vessel for holding or storing liquids
    The horrible face rippled like a simmering vat of corn chowder.
  28. stagger
    walk with great difficulty
    Sanjay screamed and staggered backward, tripping on the marble strip that ran along the bottom of the doorway.
  29. rancid
    having an offensive smell or taste
    Frozen with terror, Sanjay watched as a monster gushed from the mirror like two hundred gallons of rancid applesauce!
  30. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    Grunting and drooling, it lowered its head and leered at Sanjay with all twelve eyes.
  31. burble
    flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
    The Boogerman let out a horrible, burbling roar. It sounded like a doomed wooly mammoth sinking into a prehistoric tar pit.
  32. corral
    a pen for cattle
    He passed the robot pony corral and sped into the medieval weapons armory.
  33. armory
    a structure where military equipment is stored
    He passed the robot pony corral and sped into the medieval weapons armory. His squad had just spent the afternoon practicing hand-to-hand combat, so he knew where to go.
  34. hack
    chop or cut away
    Sanjay swung the sword furiously. He slashed and hacked, but he couldn’t do any damage to the terrible, gelatinous demon.
  35. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Sanjay dodged both times, then leapt forward and dove between the creature’s greasy legs, wincing when his foot bumped against them.
  36. slug
    a land-dwelling mollusk with no external shell
    A blob of green jelly clung to him where he had brushed against the monster. It was crawling up his leg, like an evil slug.
  37. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    In the distance, Sanjay saw something glinting in the moonlight.
  38. stump
    the base part that remains after a tree has been felled
    A chain saw rested against a tree stump.
  39. flail
    thrash about
    The slimy beast stood shaking and flailing its gloopy hands in the air.
  40. menacing
    threatening evil or danger
    His son tilted his head slightly as his smile stretched into a wide, menacing grin.
Created on Tue Jun 13 18:17:56 EDT 2023 (updated Wed Jun 14 10:33:15 EDT 2023)

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