WORD LISTS

"The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm, Chapters 18–29

December 19, 2018
By Vocabulary.com (NY)Visual Thesaurus Moderator
Ellie is struggling to adjust to middle school. When her scientist grandfather announces he has discovered a secret to reverse aging, she finds herself swept up in a scientific adventure that will help her discover her own place in the world.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–17, Chapters 18–29
aback
“I’m unimpressed,” he finally says. “I find the curriculum rather lacking.”
Ben looks taken aback. “Really?”
proposition
People are always outside holding signs for some cause or proposition on the local ballot.
jockey
They all jockey for space with the pet-rescue society and the Salvation Army.
grudging
She gives a grudging nod.
epidemic
“Or like with Salk. Kids were dying from the polio epidemic, and everybody was scared. Jonas Salk and this whole crew of scientists believed it must be possible to stop it, and so they worked night and day to find a vaccine. And they did it!”
strew
Gross, rotting, stinky trash has been strewn all across the street by some enthusiastic animal.
grouse
“No caramel apples. It’s a sad state of affairs when you can’t get a caramel apple on Halloween,” he grouses.
twinge
I feel a twinge of unease now that I’m here.
undertow
It feels like the undertow of the ocean, and I’m just swept along, everything reduced to senses.
wizened
“Happy birthday from Houston!” he calls over the line. "How’s it feel to be the wizened old age of twelve?”
wit
“When the age is in, the wit is out.”
“Oh,” I say. “Huh?”
“It’s from Much Ado About Nothing,” he informs me. “He’s saying that when you get old, you lose your brains.”
intimate
The French restaurant where we go to dinner is small and intimate.
gruff
“Well, good,” he says, a little gruffly. “I’m glad you like it.”
defiant
That night, I fall asleep dreaming of candles. Hundreds of candles. They burn on and on, bright and defiant.
rake
He’s usually cast as the rake or the hero in a play.
reciprocate
My grandfather doesn’t reciprocate.
union
“I’m in the union,” my dad says. “I’ve got a great benefits package.”
lope
“Oops, my mistake,” he says, and lopes away.
bustle
But I’m not listening to him; I’m too busy staring at my puzzle on the kitchen table. It’s almost finished now. The bustle of the city. The people rushing down the sidewalk.
scathing
“Typical Friday night,” my grandfather replies in a scathing voice. “Everyone leaves early. This generation has no dedication.”
dedication
“Typical Friday night,” my grandfather replies in a scathing voice. “Everyone leaves early. This generation has no dedication.”
impromptu
My grandfather has the cab drop us off at a Chinese restaurant for an impromptu celebration.
refine
He wants to get the ball rolling. Rent a space. Set up a real lab. Buy equipment. Refine the compound.
sarcophagus
The sarcophagus is surrounded by the dead man’s belongings: furniture, food, and a pair of leather slippers.
suede
There’s a hole where the nose should be, and the skin looks hard, like suede.
crow
“T. melvinus will have its own chapter in here now!” he crows.
imploringly
I look at him imploringly. “Is growing up, growing old—life—is it all so terrible?”
hedge
“We had a fight,” I say.
“About what?”
“Just stuff,” I hedge.
transfixed
His eyes are locked on the stage, transfixed.
ovation
They even get a standing ovation on closing night.
quiche
I flip through my grandmother’s recipe box and settle on quiche.
intrigue
My first reaction is to be grossed out, but my second reaction is to be intrigued.
unfathomable
He gives me an unfathomable look and says, “Of course you did. That’s what a scientist would do.”
purse
She looks like she wants to disagree, but then she purses her lips.
threshold
She steps across the threshold and into his arms, startling him.

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