The City of Ember vocabulary
raucous
(adj.) disagreeably harsh-sounding; disorderly
illegible
difficult to read
catastrophe
disaster or misfortune
deciphering
figuring out the meaning of
pungent
having a sharply strong taste or smell
wryly
humorously; slightly sarcastic
wistfully
longingly; in a wishful manner
curtly
rudely brief
rickety
shaky or likely to fall apart
ambled
walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace
dawdled
waste time; be slow
feeble
weak
relentlessly
without stopping
kiosk
A small structure used as a newsstand, bandstand, etc.
resonant
Having an effect; powerful
billowed
To swell out; to surge
predicament
a difficult situation
mechanism
a gadget or lock
generation
a group of individuals born and living at the same time
outcroppings
a large rock that sticks up out of the ground
ledger
a record book of accounts
tether
a rope or chain used to fasten something to a fixed object
endeavor
a serious task or effort
rivulets
a small brook or stream
luxury
a way of life that offers much more than what is necessary
stricken
affected by something overwhelming
misfortunes
bad luck
ponderously
moving with great difficulty
hogwash
nonsense
surefooted
not likely to stumble or fall
defiant
openly or boldly resisting authority
methodically
orderly and systematically
refugees
people who flee their homeland to seek safety elsewhere
slicker
raincoat
defying
resisting boldly or openly
welling
rising up, filling
weary
very tired
enmeshed
tangled in
pondered
thought about
strewn
thrown about carelessly
stirred
to affect or move somene's feelings
whittled
to cut, trim, or shape by carving off bits with a knife
discontinue
to end something; to not use anymore; cease
proceed
to go forward
hasten
to hurry
hoisted
to raise or lift
beckoned
to signal or summon, as by nodding or waving
presume
to take for granted, assume, or suppose
plunder
to take goods by force or steal
reluctantly
unwillingly