CHAPTER 5 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 5

tanned (verb (past tense))

Beat or whipped as a form of physical punishment.

hifalut'n (adjective)

Highfalutin; pretentious, pompous, or excessively fancy.

frills (noun)

Unnecessary or showy extras; pretentious airs or affectations.

cowhide (noun/verb)

A whip made from cowhide leather, used for beating; also, to beat with such a whip.

pungle (verb)

To pay up or hand over money, especially under compulsion.

bullyragged (verb (past tense))

Intimidated, harassed, or berated aggressively.

guardian (noun)

A person legally appointed to care for and manage the affairs of a child or someone unable to manage their own affairs.

temperance (noun)

Moderation in or abstinence from alcohol; self-restraint in conduct or indulgence.

pledge (noun)

A solemn promise or undertaking; in this context, a formal promise to abstain from alcohol.

stanchion (noun)

An upright bar, post, or support structure, such as a porch column.

forty-rod (noun)

Cheap, extremely potent whisky, humorously said to be strong enough to kill at forty rods (about 660 feet).

soundings (noun)

Measurements of water depth, typically taken with a weighted line; used humorously here to suggest the room needed surveying before entering.

slouch (noun)

A soft hat with a wide, flexible brim that droops.

tanyard (noun)

A place where animal hides are tanned (processed into leather); often foul-smelling and associated with poverty.

meddle (verb)

To interfere in or busy oneself with something that is not one's concern.