Sear 6 Reading - Vocabulary 19

adobe

1. brick or bricks made of clay and straw that dry and harden in the sun 2. a building made of these bricks

talons

a claw

avalanche

a large mass of rocks sliding down a hill

vantage point

a place that provides a good view

siding

a short length of railroad track that goes off the main track

spanner

a wrench

sanctuary

an area where wild animals and birds are protected; place of protection and safety

impassive

expressing no emotion

confrontations

face to face conflict; argument

jocosely

humorously

composition

the parts of something and the way in which they are put together

merge

to blend together gradually

scrutiny

to examine closely

obscured

to hide from view

menacingly

to threaten with harm; endanger

ambled

walked unhurriedly, as an animal using both legs on one side alternately with both on the other; to stroll