Fish in a Tree Vocabulary List
1. bulky
of large size for its weight
Near her, Albert, a bulky kid who’s worn the same thing every day—a dark T-shirt that reads Flint—sits up straight.
2. stall
deliberately delay an event or action
“C’mon, Ally. No more stalling.”
I don’t answer.
3. squint
partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct light
I squint a bit, hoping the lights will hurt my head less.
4. rile
disturb, especially by minor irritations
Everyone is all riled up and I don’t even know how this all happened.
5. inappropriate
not in keeping with what is correct or proper
“You’ve done other things that have been inappropriate, but this is just...well...different. It’s not like you.”
6. blurt
utter impulsively
“Can I just go now?” I blurt out, feeling like the job of just standing here is something I can’t do for another second.
7. churn
be agitated
My stomach churns, wondering what Mrs. Hall must have thought.
8. absolute
perfect or complete or pure
But there are piles of reasons I can’t tell the absolute truth.
9. mumble
talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
I mumble, “No one can help me.”
10. rake
move through with or as if with a a long-handled tool
Mrs. Silver rakes her hair with her fingers.
11. deploy
place troops or weapons in battle formation
“I miss how he’d move from place to place with us whenever Dad got stationed somewhere new or deployed. It’s weird to think he doesn't know that we’ve moved again.”
12. coincidence
an accidental event that seems to have been arranged
So I figure it isn’t a coincidence that they’re here.
13. mimic
imitate, especially for satirical effect
I give my mom the please-just-stop eyes while Shay mimics the word “sweetheart” in a baby voice.
14. llama
a cud-chewing, South American animal related to the camel
I think back to one of our apartments where the landlords kept llamas in their field. I loved them, but Mom said they smelled. I whisper back, “It’s more likely that you’d buy me my own pet llama than me sit with them.” She half smiles. “What shall we name the llama?”
15. exasperated
greatly annoyed; out of patience
She makes that exasperated sound.
16. deflate
reduce or lessen the size or importance of
But then his voice deflates.
17. bandana
a large and brightly colored handkerchief
With a name like that, I give him a cowboy hat, a bandana, and a holster.
18. holster
a sheath for carrying a handgun
With a name like that, I give him a cowboy hat, a bandana, and a holster.
19. humiliating
causing embarrassment or awareness of your shortcomings
Having to laugh at yourself along with everyone else is humiliating.
20. gifted
endowed with special talent or talents
“Oh, All....you’re too smart for this. School is too important to joke about. I don’t want you working long hours on your feet for a bunch of tips like me. I want more for you. And you’re so smart. Good at math. A gifted artist. Don’t you think it’s time to stop clowning around?”
21. trudge
walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
I trudge toward the hallway.
22. trigger
put in motion or move to act
The dusty smell of the place triggers a bunch of memories.
23. impressive
making a strong or vivid mental image
In one way it is completely impressive, and in another, the grossest thing I’ve ever seen.
24. flaw
an imperfection in an object or machine
“Well,” the guy says, “if you know anything about coins, you know that a coin with a flaw in it is far more valuable than a regular coin.”
25. expectation
belief about the future
When we get into the car, Travis says, “Did you see how that guy in there took me for a fool? Trying to rip me off. Remember, Ally. When people have low expectations of you, you can sometimes use it to your advantage.”
26. scramble
move hurriedly
Reading for me is like when I drop something and my fingers scramble to catch it and just when I think I’ve got it, I don’t.
27. medieval
relating to or belonging to the Middle Ages
“It’s the same water that the dinosaurs walked through a hundred million years ago and the cavemen drank. It’s the same water that polar bears swam in just last year and medieval knights guzzled after battle.”
28. guzzle
drink greedily or as if with great thirst
“It’s the same water that the dinosaurs walked through a hundred million years ago and the cavemen drank. It’s the same water that polar bears swam in just last year and medieval knights guzzled after battle.”
29. recycle
use again after processing
“I think Albert’s idea is fascinating. How Earth has recycled its water over and over. Extraordinary, Albert!”
30.constructive
emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good
“Shay. Please keep your comments constructive,” Mr. Daniels says.
31. imply
express or state indirectly
“The possibilities are not, in fact, infinite, as she would eventually run out of appropriate letter combinations, and the number of letters to be used in each cake would be limited as well. Also, you imply that the possibilities are all positive when it is probable that the possibilities would be equal in positive and negative outcomes.”
32. optimist
a person disposed to take a favorable view of things
“But I am an optimist. What can I say?”
33. bland
lacking taste or flavor or tang
“ Bland is correct word. Food here is bland.”
34. peasant
a crude ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
“I would just like to point out that lobster is a very expensive meal now, but in the olden days, it was served only to peasants and slaves, who revolted and demanded that they only be served lobster twice a week. And”—he swallows—“I think fish bones would have some excellent nutritional properties.”
35. scurry
move about or proceed hurriedly
Suki smiles for a second before she scurries back to her seat.