CHAPTER 15 — Vocabulary
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 15
- tow-head (noun)
- A sandbar or low-lying island in a river, usually covered with cottonwood trees or brush.
- cut bank (noun)
- A steep, eroded bank on the outer curve of a river bend, formed by the current cutting into the shore.
- saplings (noun)
- Young, slender trees.
- snags (noun)
- Trees or branches embedded in the riverbed that protrude from the water, posing a hazard to boats.
- dismal (adjective)
- Causing gloom or dread; dreary and depressing.
- fidgety (adjective)
- Restless and uneasy; unable to remain still.
- Jack-o-lantern (noun)
- In this context, a will-o'-the-wisp — a mysterious flickering light seen over swamps at night, believed to lure travelers astray.
- monstrous (adjective)
- Extremely large; enormous. Used colloquially in the 19th century to mean "very" or "exceedingly."
- staving (adjective)
- Remarkably impressive or powerful; extraordinary.
- aggravate (verb)
- To annoy, provoke, or irritate someone.
- terpret (interpret) (verb)
- To explain the meaning of something; Jim's dialectal pronunciation of "interpret."
- quarrelsome (adjective)
- Inclined to argue or pick fights; contentious.
- humble (verb)
- To lower oneself in dignity or importance; to make an act of submission or apology.
- wigwam (noun)
- In this context, a makeshift shelter constructed on the raft for protection from the elements.
- stern (noun)
- The rear end of a boat or raft.