CHAPTER 9 — Vocabulary
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from CHAPTER 9
- tolerable (adverb)
- Fairly; moderately; reasonably (used as an adverb in dialect).
- cavern (noun)
- A large natural underground chamber or cave, typically formed in rock.
- hogshead (noun)
- A large barrel or cask, typically holding about 63 gallons.
- clumb (verb)
- Dialect past tense of "climb"; climbed.
- spider-webby (adjective)
- Resembling spider webs; appearing thin, gauzy, and indistinct.
- ripper (noun)
- Something remarkably strong or impressive; an intensifier for a sudden, powerful occurrence.
- abreast (adverb)
- Side by side and facing the same way; alongside of.
- gashly (adjective)
- Dialect form of "ghastly"; extremely shocking, horrifying, or gruesome.
- calico (noun)
- A plain-woven cotton cloth printed with a bright, typically floral pattern.
- reticule (noun)
- A small handbag or purse, originally made of netted fabric, used by women.
- Barlow knife (noun)
- A sturdy, inexpensive single-bladed pocketknife popular in 19th-century America.
- tallow (noun)
- Hard, rendered fat from cattle or sheep, used especially for making candles and soap.
- curry-comb (noun)
- A flat tool with rows of short teeth, used for grooming horses.
- buckskin (noun)
- Soft, pliable leather made from the skin of a deer or similar animal.
- truck (noun)
- Miscellaneous small articles of little value; odds and ends (archaic/dialect usage).