Vocabulary - The Grapes of Wrath

What is the meaning of exhortation as used in this sentence? "From some little distance there came the sound of the beginning meeting, a sing-song chant of exhortation."

a speech intended to advice, incite or encourage

What is the meaning of accouterments as used in this sentence? "Languid, heat-raddled ladies, small nucleuses about whom revolve a thousand accouterments: creams, ointments, to grease themselves, coloring matter in phials...to change the color of their hair, eyes, lips, nails, brows, lashes, lids."

accessories

What is the meaning of conquest as used in this sentence? "On his lips there was a faint smile and on is face a curious look conquest."

accomplishment; having overcome something

What is the meaning of apprehension as used in this sentence? "For on the night when Noah was born, Pa, ... horrified at the screaming wretch his wife hat become, went mad with apprehension."

anxiousness

What is the meaning of assailed as used in this sentence? "They had assailed the buyer, argued: but they were routed when his interest seemed to flag and he told them he didn't want the stuff at any price."

assaulted

What is the meaning of ostracism as used in this sentence? "And with the laws, the punishments--and there were only two--a quick and murderous fight or ostracism, and ostracism was the worst."

being shunned or ignored by the group

What is the meaning of serene as used in this sentence? "When she spoke her voice had a beautiful low timbre, soft and modulated, and yet with ringing overtones."

calm; peaceful

What is the meaning of emerged as used in this sentence? "He emerged in an orchard."

came out

What is the meaning of ensnared as used in this sentence? "...the Company--needs--wants--insists--must have--as though the Bank or the Company were a monster, with thought and feeling, which had ensnared them."

caught as in a trap

What is the meaning of engagingly as used in this sentence? "And when the wash room was vacant for a moment, he smiled engagingly at himself in the mirror."

charmingly; attractively

What is the meaning of concession as used in this sentence? "He made a quick decision, with a concession in it?"

compromise

What is the meaning of perplexity as used in this sentence? "After a while the faces of the watching men lost their bemused perplexity and became hard and angry and resistant."

confusion; puzzlement

What is the meaning of disconsolate as used in this sentence? "Two cars loaded with disconsolate men drove down into the camp."

dejected; gloomy

What is the meaning of timbre as used in this sentence? "When she spoke her voice had a beautiful low timbre, soft and modulated, and yet with ringing overtones."

distinguishing quality of sound

What is the meaning of precinct as used in this sentence? "Pa walked into their precint."

district

What is the meaning of culvert as used in this sentence? "Through the tangle she could see the black hole out of the culvert."

drainage ditch

What is the meaning of lusterless as used in this sentence? "The girl's eyes were lusterluss again."

dull

What is the meaning of obligation as used in this sentence? "Get 'em under obligation. Make 'em take up your time. Don't let 'em forget they're takin' your time.'"

duty; contract; promise

What is the meaning of insignia as used in this sentence? "In their lapels the insignia of lodges and service clubs, places where they can go..."

emblem

What is the meaning of vitality as used in this sentence? "And when a horse stops work and goes in the barn there is a life an a vitality left, there is a breathing and a warmth, and the feet shift on the straw..."

energy; liveliness

What is the meaning of ravenous as used in this sentence? "Winfield sat up and drank his milk, and instantly he was ravenous."

extremely hungry

What is the meaning of truculently as used in this sentence? "Muley said truculentky. 'You ain't changed neither.'"

fiercely

What is the meaning of sulkily as used in this sentence? "And Grandma answered sulkily, 'Well, I want to see him. He's a tricky devil.'"

gloomily or in a withdrawn manner

What is the meaning of pall as used in this sentence? "The pall had fallen on Ruthie and Winfield."

gloomy atmosphere

What is the meaning of lithely as used in this sentence? "She moved toward him lithely, soundlessly in her bare feet and her face was full of wonder."

gracefully

What is the meaning of reassured as used in this sentence? "The driver was reassured. He knew at least that Joad was listening."

had confidence restored

What is the meaning of nondescript as used in this sentence? "The first house was nondescript."

having no individual, distinguishing characteristics

What is the meaning of obscured as used in this sentence? "The black round hole was obscured for a moment, and then the figure moved back."

hidden from view

What is the meaning of cantankerous as used in this sentence? "A cantankerous, complaining, mischevious, laughing face."

ill-tempered; difficult to handle

What is the meaning of irritably as used in this sentence? "Al said irritably, 'I'm goin' out on my own purty soon...'"

in a manner showing annoyance

What is the meaning of provocatively as used in this sentence? "Her round soft face, ... had already put on the barrier of pregnancy...hard hips and buttocks that swung so freely and provocatively as to invite slapping and stroking--her whole body had become demure and serious."

in an exciting or stimulating way

What is the meaning of defiantly as used in this sentence? "Defiantly she hit the ball again."

in manner rejecting authority; just to go against the rules

What is the meaning of luxuriously as used in this sentence? "Casey scratched his toes luxuriously."

indulgence; not necessarily out of necessity

What is the meaning of anlage as used in this sentence? "...sleeping life waited to spread and dispersed, every seed armed with an appliance of dispersal,...all passive but armed with appliances of activity, still, but each possessed of the anlage of movement."

initial cell structures from which a par or organ develops foundation

What is the meaning of vivaciousness as used in this sentence? "Sometimes he looks up at the vivaciousness in Mae's voice, and then he scrapes the griddle with a spatula..."

liveliness; animation

What is the meaning of skulk as used in this sentence? "And hunger did not skulk about, but the world was soft and easy, and a man could reach the place he started."

lurk; lie hiding

What is the meaning of vague as used in this sentence? "He was about fifty, his whiskey face gaunt, and his open eyes were vague and staring."

not clearly expressive

What is the meaning of panoramically as used in this sentence? "And still the family stood about like dream walkers, their eyes focused panoramically, seeing no detail, but the whole dawn, the whole land, the whole texture of the country at once."

on a view of a large area

What is the meaning of hypocrite as used in this sentence? "I figgered there just wasn't no hope for me, an' I was damned ol' hypocrite. But I didn't mean to be."

one who says he believes one way but in action shows he believes the opposite

What is the meaning of proprietor as used in this sentence? "The proprietor, a sullen lanky man, sat in a chair on the porch."

owner

What is the meaning of agitators as used in this sentence? "There's always red agitators, just before a pay cut."

people who stir up trouble

What is the meaning of denunciation as used in this sentence? "There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation."

public condemnation

What is the meaning of imperturbability as used in this sentence? "Imperturbability could be depended on."

quality of being calm and collected; can't be made upset

What is the meaning of inquiringly as used in this sentence? "In the little sties the pigs grunted inquirigly ver the muddy remnants of the slops."

questioningly

What is the meaning of lingered as used in this sentence? "The wills thrust westward ahead of them, and fears that had once apprehended drought or flood now lingered with anything that might stop the westward crawling."

remained; tarried

What is the meaning of aloof as used in this sentence? "They were aloof, and at the same time possessive."

reserved; distant

What is the meaning of putrescence as used in this sentence? "Slaughter pigs and bury them, and let the putrescence drip down into the earth."

rotten, decaying matter

What is the meaning of forlornly as used in this sentence? "They looked forlornly up and down the dusty street."

sad because of being abandoned

What is the meaning of conserved as used in this sentence? "Ma kept a little fire going in the stove, kept a few twigs burning, and she conserved her wood."

saved; used sparingly

What is the meaning of cynically as used in this sentence? "Winfield retired to a rolled mattress, and he regarded the family cynically and dully."

scornful of the motives, virtue or integrity of others

What is the meaning of paradoxes as used in this sentence? "They had not grown up in the paradoxes of industry"

seemingly contradictory aspects

What is the meaning of demure as used in this sentence? "Her round soft face, ... had already put on the barrier of pregnancy...hard hips and buttocks that swung so freely and provocatively as to invite slapping and stroking--her whole body had become demure and serious."

shy; modest; reserved

What is the meaning of declivity as used in this sentence? "Joad speeded his pace against the sun, and he started down the declivity."

slope; hill

What is the meaning of fatuously as used in this sentence? "...she accepted nobly, smiling her wise, self-satisfied smile, mouth tipped at the corners a little fatuously."

smugly

What is the meaning of constrite as used in this sentence? "His chin quivered. And Ruthie was instantly contrite."

sorry

What is the meaning of fetid as used in this sentence? "The air was fetid and close with the smell of the birth."

stinky; smelly; having a bad odor

What is the meaning of sauntered as used in this sentence? "When the bearded man had gone, the young man left his work and sauntered over."

strolled

What is the meaning of engulfed as used in this sentence? "...deep mud engulfed the wheels."

swallowed up; surrounded; enclosed

What is the meaning of pinnacles as used in this sentence? "The Joad family moved slowly westward, up into the mountains of New Mexico, past the pinnacles and pyramids of the upland."

tall pointed formations

What is the meaning of lecherous as used in this sentence? "He was as lecherous as always."

tending towards excessive promiscuous behavior

What is the meaning of menacingly as used in this sentence? "Ruthie moved menacingly out on the court."

threateningly

What is the meaning of taut as used in this sentence? "The cat crept along behind for a while, but in a dozen yards it arched its back to a strong taut and yaned, and came stealthily back toward the seated men."

tight; tense

What is the meaning of beseech as used in this sentence? "He did not know or own or trust or beseech the land"

to make an earnest request

What is the meaning of imperiously as used in this sentence? "Grandma called imperiously. 'Will! Will! You come here, Will.'"

urgently; authoritatively

What is the meaning of prodigal as used in this sentence? "Maybe Tom'll kill the fatted calf like for the prodigal in Scripture."

usually means "extravagant," here refers to the Bible story where a man's son came home and the man gave an extravagant feast

What is the meaning of nebulous as used in this sentence? "And whereas the wants of the Californians were nebulous and undefined, the wants of the Okies were beside the roads, lying there to be seen and coveted..."

vague; lacking definite form

What is the meaning of precious as used in this sentence? "And if you lose it or break is, why, it's no great loss. You can buy another for a quarter. A guitar is more precious."

valuable

What is the meaning of mincing as used in this sentence? "He looked about for something that could honorably diver hit attention, saw a red chicken go mincing by and ran at it."

walking with short steps

What is the meaning of feral as used in this sentence? "The exhortation stopped, and only the feral howling came from the tent, and with it a thudding sound on the earth."

wild; savage

What is the meaning of modulated as used in this sentence? "When she spoke her voice had a beautiful low timbre, soft and modulated, and yet with ringing overtones."

with varying tone

What is the meaning of receded as used in this sentence? "The motor droned steadily and the sun receded down the sky in front of them."

withdrew

What is the meaning of wizened as used in this sentence? "A wizened little man with a wrinkled face slapped his knee."

withered; wrinkled

What is the meaning of fret as used in this sentence? "I'll take care of you. Don't you fret."

worry