CHAPTER 11 — Vocabulary
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 11
- afeard (adjective)
- Afraid; frightened. A dialectal or archaic form of "afraid."
- hain't (contraction)
- Dialectal contraction meaning "have not" or "has not."
- considerable (adverb)
- To a noteworthy degree; quite a lot. Used here as an adverb in regional dialect.
- nigh (adverb)
- Near; close to. Often used to describe a narrow escape.
- shanty (noun)
- A small, crudely built dwelling; a shack.
- generly (adverb)
- Dialectal spelling of "generally"; usually or typically.
- hank (noun)
- A coil or skein of yarn or thread, loosely wound and tied together.
- contrived (verb)
- Deliberately planned or devised; arranged with skillful purpose.
- tolerable (adverb)
- Fairly; moderately; to an acceptable degree.
- calico (noun)
- A plain-woven cotton fabric, often with a printed pattern; here referring to a simple dress made of this fabric.
- awkard (adverb)
- Dialectal form of "awkwardly"; in a clumsy or ungraceful manner.
- pivot (noun)
- A fixed point on which something turns or rotates.
- wrenched (verb)
- Twisted or pulled suddenly and violently; strained or injured by twisting.
- clatter (verb)
- To talk rapidly and at length; to chatter noisily.
- hive (verb)
- Dialectal usage meaning to hit or strike successfully.
- sence (preposition)
- Dialectal spelling of "since."