CHAPTER 26 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 26

cubby (noun)

A small, enclosed space or compartment used for storage or sleeping.

pallet (noun)

A makeshift or simple bed, often a straw-filled mattress laid on the floor.

jimcracks (noun)

Cheap, showy ornaments or trinkets of little value.

homely (adjective)

Simple, unpretentious, and homelike in character or appearance (not unattractive, in this usage).

ornery (adjective)

Bad-tempered, stubborn, or of poor quality; a dialectal form of "ordinary" meaning low or mean.

humbug (noun)

Deceptive or false talk or behavior; nonsense intended to deceive.

stretchers (noun)

Exaggerated statements or outright lies; tall tales.

reptle (noun)

Huck's dialectal spelling of "reptile," used as an insult meaning a low, despicable person.

hive (verb)

To collect, gather, or secure something; in this context, to steal back or recover stolen goods.

dasn't (verb)

Dialectal contraction of "dared not" or "dares not"; did not dare.

suspicion (verb)

Used as a verb in dialect: to suspect or have suspicions about.

ransacking (verb)

Searching a place thoroughly and roughly, often causing disorder; pillaging.

straw tick (noun)

A mattress casing filled with straw, placed under a feather bed for support.

calico (noun)

A plain-woven cotton fabric, often printed with a small floral pattern.

passel (noun)

A dialectal form of "parcel," meaning a large group or quantity.