Chapter 126 - The Life-Buoy — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 126 - The Life-Buoy

plaintively (adverb)

In a manner expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournfully.

transfixed (adjective)

Rendered motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment; rooted to the spot.

unappalled (adjective)

Not dismayed or horrified; undaunted.

peeringly (adverb)

Looking closely or searchingly; in a peering manner.

bodings (noun)

Feelings of foreboding; premonitions of evil or misfortune.

portent (noun)

A sign or warning that something momentous or calamitous is likely to happen; an omen.

presaged (verb)

Foretold or predicted, especially as an omen of something (usually negative).

inuendoes (noun)

Indirect or subtle references or suggestions (archaic spelling of "innuendoes").

caulk (verb)

To seal the seams or joints of a vessel with waterproof material to prevent leaking.

pitch (noun)

A dark, thick, sticky substance derived from tar, used for waterproofing ships.

undignified (adjective)

Lacking in dignity; beneath one's station or professional standards.

cobbling (noun)

Mending or patching roughly or clumsily; makeshift repair work.

marling-spike (noun)

A pointed metal tool used in nautical ropework for separating strands of rope and for splicing.

batten (verb)

To fasten securely by means of battens (strips of wood or metal), especially to make watertight.

superstitious (adjective)

Having or showing a belief in supernatural causation, especially regarding omens and portents.