Vocabulary 2

Life of Pi vocabulary part 2

“The water about him was shifting wildly.” (p97)

1 Shifting: Verb (used without object) To move from one place, position, direction, to another.

“I grabbed an oar.” (p99)

2 Oar: Noun, a long shaft with a broad blade at one end, used as a lever for rowing or otherwise propelling or steering a boat.

“I had bought a map of the world for the trip; I had set it up in our cabin against a cork bill board.” (p100)

3 Cork: noun, the outer bark of an oak, Quercus suber, of Mediterranean countries, used for making stoppers for bottles, floats, etc.

“The ship was no luxury liner.” (p101)

4 Liner: noun, a ship or airplane operated by a transportation or conveyance company.

“Light on pandemonium.” (p102)

5 Pandemonium: noun, wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.

“Towards the bow I saw some men running in the gloom.” (p104)

6 Gloom: noun, total or partial darkness; dimness.

“The sharks prowled but did not lunge.” (p107)

7 Lunge: noun, a sudden forward thrust, as with a sword or knife; stab.

“Even submarines were swerving to join in the rescue effort.” (p113)

8 Swerving: verb, to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

“I was closer to the hyena, but it wasn’t stirring.” (p121)

9 Stirring: adjective, rousing, exciting, or thrilling: a stirring speech.

“Organ Juice could have been one of these forlorn pets.” (p129)

10 Forlorn: adjective, desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance.

“I was roused by anxiety.” (p147)

11 Roused: verb, to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc.: He was roused to action by courageous words.”

“I had four buoyant oars.” (p149)

12 Buoyant: adjective, tending to float in a fluid.

“The yellow canine thus coyly revealed was as long as my longest finger.”  (p152)

13 Thus: adverb, in the way just indicated; in this way: Stated thus, the problem seems trivial.

14 Coyly: adjective, artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; slyly hesitant; coquettish.

“I pulled myself up and carefully peeped over the gunnel.” (p155)

15 Peeped: verb, to look through a small opening or from a concealed location.