A Separate Peace: Vocabulary
ludicrous
(adj.) ridiculous, laughable, absurd.
preposterous
(adj.) ridiculous, senseless
infinitesimal
(adj.) so small as to be almost immeasurable; minute.
provocative
(adj.) tending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing desire or appetite; irritating, annoying.
opulent
(adj.) wealthy, luxurious; ample; grandiose.
General de. Gaulle
French general and statesman who became very popular during World War II as the leader of the Free French forces in exile. (1890-1970)
Chiang Kai-shek
General and leader of Nationalist China after 1925. He became a military dictator whose major goal was to crush the communist movement led by Mao Zedong.
toll
The amount of loss or destruction caused by a disaster. (n.) the sound of a bell being struck; a fee or payment; negative consequences. (-)
blind impulse
What does Finny insist must have made Gene bounce the branch that day? An example.
Section Eight discharge
a U.S. Army discharge based on military assessment of psychological unfitness or character traits deemed undesirable.
gorgeous fanfare
a ceremonial tune, short, and sometime used to introduce someone or something.
quadrangle
a four-sided enclosure, usually surrounded by buildings.
infirmary
a health facility where patients receive treatment.
Maginot Lines
a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that France constructed just before the border with Switzerland and the borders with Germany and Luxembourg during the 1930s.
skirmish
a minor conflict; battle.
balustrade
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling.
reprieve
a respite; postponement of a sentence.
automaton
a robot; a mechanical "person."
slalom
a ski race down a winding course marked by flags or poles.
bane
a source of harm and ruin.
derangement
a state of mental disturbance and disorientation.
undulation
a wavelike motion.
suppleness
ability to bend easily; limberness.
preeminently
above all; most importantly.
fratricide
act of killing (or killer of) one's brother.
pungent
adj. causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting.
decrepit
adj. old and feeble; worn-out, ruined.
holding action
an attack designed to prevent the enemy from moving forward.
dowager
an elderly woman of elevated social status.
rites
an incident which creates tremendous growth signifying a transition from adolescence to adulthood.
shining northern paganism
an oxygen intoxicant; odor
insinuations
an unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad.
Puritan grandeur
any member of a Protestant group which expresses it through appearance in style.
tough bantam body
appearance of a chicken; durable structure.
loomed
appeared in a large or threatening form.
herringboned
ascending a slope by walking forward in alternate steps with each ski angled outward.
musterings
assembling of something.
inspiration and anarchy
being mentally stimulated to do something, disorder due to absence and/or nonrecognition of authority.
primevally
belonging to the earliest ages; ancient.
indecipherable
cannot be decoded; cannot be worked out.
tangible
capable of being touched; real, concrete
shores of Eden
compared by Gene in how perfect the situation is but that maybe something unfortunate will happen. (a bible reference of the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived).
guileful
deceitful; tricky.
deluded
deceived or misled.
discernible
distinguishable; perceivable.
multifariously
diverse; occurring in great variety.
droning monotonously
dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest.
reverberant
echoing
rebukingly
express sharp disapproval or criticism of someone because of their behavior or actions.
over indignant
expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, or insulting.
delirious
extreme mental confusion or excitement; raving
Guadalcanal
first US land victory over the Japanese, 1943.
Lepillier Refusal
foreshadows Leper's nervous breakdown and desertion from basic training later in the novel.
specters
ghostly images; phantoms
burlesque
give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly.
convalescence
gradual return to health and strength after an illness or other problem.
cohorts
group of people who share some common quality; armed band; a group of between 300 and 600 soldiers under one commander. (in the ancient Rome)
inured
hardened; accustomed; used to.
sway-backed
having an abnormally hollow or sagging back.
catacombed
having things that are hidden or underground, such as tunnels or rooms.
optimism
hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
mesmerized
hypnotized; fascinated.
epic grandeur
impressiveness; stateliness; majest.
innately
inborn, existing from birth, always present.
inebriating
intoxicating, exhilarating, exciting.
terminus
last stop of railroad; end.
extremities of the class
limit; part of something, in the classroom.
collective assent
many people agree or give in.
malarkey
meaningless talk; nonsense.
precariously
means in a dangerous, exposed position.
qualms
misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy.
Spanish grandee
nobleman
muddled honesty
not the complete truth.
vagaries
odd or eccentric ideas; impulsive or capricious action.
sultriness
oppressively hot and close or moist; sweltering.
invoking
petitioning for help support; appealing to.
immobilized
prevent (something or someone) from moving or operating as normal.
salient
prominent; of notable significance
bellicose-looking
pugnacious; eager to fight.
he glanced speculatively
quickly looked; focused on.
effulgence
radiant splendor; brilliance.
obliterated
removed all traces of; destroyed
galvanized
steel that has been coated with zinc for increased resistance to rust.
vigor laden
strengthening on a heavy force.
obstinate
stubborn; unyielding.
conjured
summoned by oath or spell.
poignance
that which painfully affects the feelings; that which touches or pierces.
life's giant ironies
the opposite of what was expected of, usually bigger in the impact on lives.
timbre
the overall quality of a sound.
The Yellow Peril
the political or military threat regarded as being posed by the Chinese or by the peoples of Southeast Asia.
marrow
the soft connective tissue that fills the internal spaces in bone.
"for the Duration"
the time it will take
capacious
(adj.) able to hold much, roomy.
irate
(adj.) angry
ramshackle
(adj.) appearing ready to collapse, loose and shaky.
venerable
(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement.
latent
(adj.) hidden, present but not realized.
prodigious
(adj.) immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree.
irrelevant
(adj.) not to the point, not applicable or pertinent.
blitzkrieg
"Lighting war", typed of fast-moving warfare used by German forces against Poland in 1939.
detonation
(n) a large or powerful explosion.
emissaries
(n.) a person sent on a special mission, usually as a diplomatic representative.
conniver
(n.) a person who secretly plots or schemes.
sinecure
(n.) a position requiring little or no work; an easy job.
gradations
(n.) a series of systematic steps or stages; a gradual change from one stage to another, transitional stage
emblem
(n.) a symbol, sign, token
extravaganza
(n.) an elaborate and spectacular display or event.
prow
(n.) distinguished bravery; superior skill or ability
enmity
(n.) hatred, ill-will.
bric-a-brac
(n.) objects of curiosity or for decoration.
aesthete
(n.) one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature.
scholasticism
A medieval philosophical and theological system that tried to reconcile faith and reason.
catastrophic joke
A sudden and widespread disaster.
contentious
Quarrelsome, inclined to argue
exaltation
to glorify; to hold in esteem
impinge
to strike; encroach.
insinuating
to suggest in an indirect or subtle fashion.
surmised
to suppose; to infer from evidence
irresolutely
uncertainty; without sureness.
implausibility
unlikeliness; unbelievability.
manipulated
variable that is deliberately changed.
self-deprivation
voluntary denial or suppression of one's own interests or desires.
judiciously
wisely; sensibly; with care or caution.
rasping
with a harsh, grating sound; a harsh sound.