Stella by Starlight

1. traitorous (adjective):

treacherous; having the nature of a person who betrays someone’s trust 

“Besides the traitorous leaves, Stella could hear a pair of bullfrogs ba-rupping to each other, but nothing, not a single human voice, from across the pond.” (Chapter 1, Page 2)

2. brindle (adjective):

gray or tawny with darker streaks or spots

“The family sat huddled around the only table in the house, with Dusty, their brindle hound, curled underneath.” (Chapter 2, Page 4)

3. gaped (past tense verb):

stared with an open mouth, as if in wonder

“As Stella gaped, [Tony] hurried on.” (Chapter 3, Page 13)

4. unbridled (participial adjective):

not controlled or restrained

“She thought about the masthead of that paper. Its motto was ‘The Truth Unbridled.’ Stella liked that.” (Chapter 3, Page 24)

5. steely (adjective):

resembling the strength or hardness of steel; usually describes a “hard” expression

“Stella fixed them both with a steely glare, then said in her best royal voice, ‘Both of you must go and slay a dragon for me. Begone!’” (Chapter 5, Page 29)

6. ballads (plural noun):

simple songs of sentimental or romantic character, usually relating a story

“Stella slipped into her own seat, next to the upright piano that Mrs. Grayson plinked out hymns and folk songs and ballads on.” (Chapter 7, Page 43) 

7. abruptly (adverb):

without warning

“Then Mrs. Grayson abruptly stopped playing.” (Chapter 8, Page 53)

8. dunce (noun):

a dull-witted or ignorant person

“Dunce! She ripped the page out of her notebook, balled it up, and put her head down on her desk.” (Chapter 9, Page 58)

9. mar (verb):

to damage or make imperfect

“She felt jumpy—anxious for the night, hopeful that no fiery disturbances would mar the darkness this time, and worried that her mother would find out she’d gotten in trouble at school.” (Chapter 10, Page 60)

10. makeshift (adjective):

a temporary substitute 

“Stella ran out to find the boys, who were already sneaking samples of okra and hush puppies from the makeshift table.” (Chapter 13, Page 81)

11. obliged (participial adjective):

bound by duty, ethics, or politeness

“‘I come to bid you good-bye, Mills family,’ he said. ‘Much obliged for your hospitality, your friendship, and your food.’” (Chapter 17, Page 105)

12. admonished (past tense verb):

mildly scolded

“‘Stella, let the boy talk,’ her father admonished.” (Chapter 20, Page 120)

13. pensive (adjective):

dreamily thoughtful 

“Her father was quiet for the first few miles, and Stella did not disturb his pensive mood.” (Chapter 21, Page 125)

14. registrar (noun):

a person who keeps an official record

“A metal name plate sat on his desk in front of a large pile of papers, both typed and handwritten—AMHERST PINEVILLE, REGISTRAR.” (Chapter 22, Page 134)

15. unalienable (adjective):

not capable of being taken away or denied

“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’” (Chapter 22, Page 136)

16. trounce (verb):

to defeat decisively

“She was in a mood to trounce Jojo in checkers, not work outside all day.” (Chapter 26, Page 161)

17. brigade (noun):

a group of individuals organized for a particular purpose

“Still, without planning or discussion, as more and more neighbors arrived, a bucket brigade had begun.” (Chapter 27, Page 174)

18. sauntered (past tense verb):

walked leisurely, strolled

“She tried to shrug it all off, but when Tony sauntered over, simply to say, ‘Impressive!’ before heading back to help with the final cleanup, she couldn’t help but beam.” (Chapter 29, Page 189)

19. chastised (past tense verb):

criticized severely

“Then she chastised herself for thinking mean thoughts—after all, these ladies were here to help.” (Chapter 30, Page 203)

20. descendant (noun):

a person descended from a particular ancestor; an offspring

“Men taught their sons the secrets of flying, and women taught their daughters, so the knowledge was passed from ancestor to descendant.” (Chapter 33, Page 220)

21. lanky (adjective):

ungracefully thin, bony, gaunt

“The sheriff, a lanky, red-faced man named Amos Sizemore, stood in front of the door, arms folded across his chest.” (Chapter 35, Page 234)

22. camphor (noun):

a substance from the camphor tree used to treat infection or irritation

“It’s got a little camphor and little menthol, and probably lots of other things they never tell us about.” (Chapter 37, Page 245)

23. wan (adjective):

strained; suggesting unhappiness

“Johnny Ray Johnson gave Tony a wan smile, then without warning, swung his arm back and punched Tony directly in the stomach.” (Chapter 37, Page 249)

24. salve (noun):

a medicinal ointment for relieving wounds and sores

“All the salve in the world can’t cure what gets broken in somebody’s soul.” (Chapter 39, Page 256)

25. parcel (noun):

a small package

“He picked the parcel back up and handed it to Mrs. Grayson.” (Chapter 41, Page 268)