Vocabulary Post

Alumnus (p. 7): As an alumnus of Culver Creek, he had done the things I had only heard about.

• A graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university.
• As an alumnus from Culver Creek, I was invited to the reunion party.

Incredulous (p. 10): He got through the A's before looking up and noticing my incredulous stare.

• Not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical.
• He gave me an incredulous stare after I stated that I've never been kissed.

Undulated (p.12): The TV room undulated with kids trying to find and haul their stuff.

• To move with a sinuous or wavelike motion; display a smooth rising-and-falling or side-to-side alternation of movement:
• The Culver Creek flag undulated in the warm breeze.

Blitzkrieg (p.17): He doesn't really go blitzkrieg mode until classes start.

• "Lightning war" or "lightning attack." A phrase that was used during World War II to describe the Germans' way of fighting.
• He when totally blitzkrieg mode on me once he found out what I had done. 

Cacophonous (p.17): ...the tiny noise of [the mosquito's] rubbing wing sounded cacophonous.

• Having a harsh or discordant sound.
• She had a cacophonous scream.

Deadpanned (p. 43): "shame you didn't" I deadpanned.

• Marked by or accomplished with a careful pretense of seriousness or calm detachment; impassive or expressionless
• Her attitude towards me was very deadpanned.

Incorrigible (p. 43): Pudge is adorable/ but you want incorrigible...

• Firmly fixed; not easily changed
• She would not listen to me she was incorrigible.

Perennially (p. 47): [his hair] was always soaked through with so much gel that it looked perennially wet.

• Lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring:
• Her perennial beauty took my breath away.

Unmoor (p.78): if you unmoor her from the rock that is Jake, God have mercy on us all.

• To loose (a vessel) from moorings or anchorage.
• I had to unmoor him from the TV so that he would come hang out.

Harrowing (p. 80): ...I joined Alaska on a harrowing, we-don't-need-no-stinking-brakes drive to the airport

• Extremely disturbing or distressing; grievous
• Being with her was a harrowing experience

Brackish (p. 83): I saw that [the bottle] was half filled with a brackish brown liquid.

• Distasteful; unpleasant.
• The food here has a very brackish flavor.

Rotund (p.86): portraying her rotund form in all its girth

• Plump; fat.
• He was a rotund young fellow, hard to believe how athletic he was.

Disconcerting (p. 93): Alaska looked at me with disconcerting frequency when she drove.

• Confusing, usually in the face of something totally unexpected; perplexing.
• She gave me a disconcerting look after I told her what had happened.

Precipitously (p. 94): ...pulling onto a road that dropped precipitously down a hill...

• Extremely or impassably steep
• The road precipitously dropped suddenly.

Flagrant (p. 102): Alaska smoking with flagrant disregard...

• Shockingly noticeable or evident; obvious; glaring
• She flagrantly pulled out a cigarette as she walked passed her teacher.

Traipsing (p. 110): you'll say that while you were traipsing through the woods lighting firecrackers...

• To walk or go aimlessly or idly or without finding or reaching one's goal
• We were traipsing through the building, trying to find the right room.

Convulsing (p.120) ...looking down at her mother convulsing

• To shake violently; agitate.
• She was convulsing with laughter after I had fallen into the lake. 

Brazen (p.126): [What Lara said] was so brazen.

• shameless or impudent
• I made a brazen presumption that this school year would be great.

Solar Plexus (p.162): ...a long desk that rose to the Colonel's solar plexus.

• A network of nerves situated at the upper part of the abdomen,behind the stomach and in front of the aorta.
• He punched me right in the solar plexus.