Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Bungalow

A single-story house with a wide veranda, typical of colonial India, derived from the Hindi word 'bangla.'

Cantonment

A permanent military station in British India, often including residential areas for officers and their families.

Veranda

A roofed, open-air gallery or porch attached to the outside of a building, common in tropical architecture.

Sluice

A channel or opening designed to carry water, often built into walls for drainage.

Fledgling

A young bird that has recently developed feathers and is learning to fly; more broadly, any young or inexperienced creature.

Draggled

Made wet and dirty, as if dragged through mud or water.

Scuttled

Moved quickly with short, hurried steps; a rapid, bustling motion.

Providence

A manifestation of divine care or protective intervention; a fortunate occurrence attributed to a higher power.

Valiant

Showing great courage and determination, especially in the face of danger.

Cowered

Crouched down in fear; shrank away from something threatening.

Spectacle-mark

The distinctive pattern on the back of a cobra's hood that resembles a pair of eyeglasses or spectacles.

Brahm

A variant spelling of Brahma, the Hindu creator god, referenced in the cobra's mythological origin story.

Cunningly

In a clever or crafty manner; with skillful deception or ingenuity.

Brood

A group of young animals, especially birds or reptiles, produced at one hatching or birth.

Bantam

A small breed of domestic chicken, often used as a reference for small size.

Coppersmith

A barbet bird (Psilopogon haemacephalus) named for its repetitive metallic call that sounds like a coppersmith hammering metal.

Musk-rat

A small, timid rodent known for emitting a musky odor; in the story, Chuchundra the musk-rat is a perpetually frightened creature.

Gait

A particular way or manner of walking or moving.

Litter

A layer of decomposing plant matter on the ground; also, loose material used as bedding or ground cover.

Savage

Fierce, violent, and uncontrolled; showing extreme aggression.