KEY VOCABULARY
Listed Below are Key vocabulary that have been identified in the reading of To Kill A Mockingbird. If you notice a term we need to add let me know. Remember to practice your vocabulary before reading at Vocabulary.com You also have a link in your Google Classroom to the specific vocabulary your class needs to be familiar with.
CHAPTERS 1-3
- consult
seek information from
We were far too old to settle an argument with a fist-fight, so we consulted Atticus. - unsullied
spotlessly clean and fresh
Atticus's office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard and an unsullied Code of Alabama. - satisfactory
meeting requirements
Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment. - tyrannical
characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule
She had been with us ever since Jem was born, and I had felt her tyrannical presence as long as I could remember. - absence
failure to be present
Our mother died when I was two, so I never felt her absence. - revelation
an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
Dill had seen Dracula, a revelation that moved Jem to eye him with the beginning of respect. - concede
be willing to yield
It was all right to shut him up, Mr. Radley conceded, but insisted that Boo not be charged with anything: he was not a criminal. - employ
put into service
Nobody knew what form of intimidation Mr. Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight, but Jem figured that Mr. Radley kept him chained to the bed most of the time. - decline
refuse to accept
In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare. - foray
a sudden short attack
Jem threw open the gate and sped to the side of the house, slapped it with his palm and ran back past us, not waiting to see if his foray was successful. - miserable
very unhappy
We saw him off on the five o'clock bus and I was miserable without him until it occurred to me that I would be starting to school in a week. - condescend
do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
Jem condescended to take me to school the first day, a job usually done by one's parents, but Atticus had said Jem would be delighted to show me where my room was. - compel
force somebody to do something
Now that I was compelled to think about it, reading was something that just came to me, as learning to fasten the seat of my union suit without looking around, or achieving two bows from a snarl of shoelaces. - expound
add details, as to an account or idea
Atticus was expounding upon farm problems when Walter interrupted to ask if there was any molasses in the house. - erratic
liable to sudden unpredictable change
She was furious, and when she was furious Calpurnia's grammar became erratic. - contradict
prove negative; show to be false
"There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. - humiliation
strong feelings of embarrassment
I retrieved my plate and finished dinner in the kitchen, thankful, though, that I was spared the humiliation of facing them again. - amiable
diffusing warmth and friendliness
He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to reinforce my position: "You never went to school and you do all right, so I'll just stay home too. - exclusive
not divided or shared with others
He said that the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells. - withdraw
remove something, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off
I stood on tiptoe, hastily looked around once more, reached into the hole, and withdrew two pieces of chewing gum minus their outer wrappers. - unanimous
in complete agreement
Mrs. Dubose lived two doors up the street from us; neighborhood opinion was unanimous that Mrs. Dubose was the meanest old woman who ever lived. - arbitrate
act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
Jem arbitrated, awarded me first push with an extra time for Dill, and I folded myself inside the tire. - inquisitive
showing curiosity
If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children, which was a mild term for the likes of us. - peculiar
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
What Mr. Radley did might seem peculiar to us, but it did not seem peculiar to him. - ramshackle
in deplorable condition
The back of the Radley house was less inviting than the front: a ramshackle porch ran the width of the house; there were two doors and two dark windows between the doors.
Chapters 4-10
- auspicious
indicating favorable circumstances and good luck
The remainder of my school days were no more auspicious than the first. - arbitrate
act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
Jem arbitrated, awarded me first push with an extra time for Dill, and I folded myself inside the tire. - aloof
remote in manner
But I kept aloof from their more foolhardy schemes for a while, and on pain of being called a girl, I spent most of the remaining twilights that summer sitting with Miss Maudie Atkinson on her front porch. - foolhardy
marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
But I kept aloof from their more foolhardy schemes for a while, and on pain of being called a girl, I spent most of the remaining twilights that summer sitting with Miss Maudie Atkinson on her front porch. - benign
pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence
Until Jem and Dill excluded me from their plans, she was only another lady in the neighborhood, but a relatively benign presence. - tacit
implied by or inferred from actions or statements
Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn't jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot, terms so generous we seldom spoke to her, so careful were we to preserve the delicate balance of our relationship, but Jem and Dill drove me closer to her with their behavior. - arbor
a framework that supports climbing plants
Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn't jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot, terms so generous we seldom spoke to her, so careful were we to preserve the delicate balance of our relationship, but Jem and Dill drove me closer to her with their behavior. - magisterial
befitting an eminent person
She was a widow, a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds in an old straw hat and men's coveralls, but after her five o'clock bath she would appear on the porch and reign over the street in magisterial beauty. - hitherto
up to this point; until the present time
Miss Maudie's benevolence extended to Jem and Dill, whenever they paused in their pursuits: we reaped the benefits of a talent Miss Maudie had hitherto kept hidden from us. - placidly
in a good-natured manner
Jem said placidly, "We are going to give a note to Boo Radley." - asinine
devoid of intelligence
Lastly, we were to stay away from that house until we were invited there, we were not to play an asinine game he had seen us playing or make fun of anybody on this street or in this town. - edification
uplifting enlightenment
"No," said Atticus, "putting his life's history on display for the edification of the neighborhood." - quibble
argue over petty things
Jem decided there was no point in quibbling, and was silent. - ensuing
following immediately and as a result of what went before
Jem said Mr. Avery misfigured, Dill said he must drink a gallon a day, and the ensuing contest to determine relative distances and respective prowess only made me feel left out again, as I was untalented in this area. - respective
considered individually
Jem said Mr. Avery misfigured, Dill said he must drink a gallon a day, and the ensuing contest to determine relative distances and respective prowess only made me feel left out again, as I was untalented in this area. - ramshackle
in deplorable condition
The back of the Radley house was less inviting than the front: a ramshackle porch ran the width of the house; there were two doors and two dark windows between the doors. - cleave
stick or hold together and resist separation
"You know, she can talk real pretty sometimes. One time I asked her to have a chew and she said no thanks, that—chewing gum cleaved to her palate and rendered her speechless," said Jem carefully. - render
cause to become
"You know, she can talk real pretty sometimes. One time I asked her to have a chew and she said no thanks, that—chewing gum cleaved to her palate and rendered her speechless," said Jem carefully. - vigil
a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
Next day Jem repeated his vigil and was rewarded. - aberration
a state or condition markedly different from the norm
Mr. Avery said it was written on the Rosetta Stone that when children disobeyed their parents, smoked cigarettes and made war on each other, the seasons would change: Jem and I were burdened with the guilt of contributing to the aberrations of nature, thereby causing unhappiness to our neighbors and discomfort to ourselves. - accost
approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently
When we were on the sidewalk in front of Miss Maudie's, Mr. Avery accosted us. - plait
make by braiding or interlacing
Jem procured some peach-tree switches from the back yard, plaited them, and bent them into bones to be covered with dirt. - quell
suppress or crush completely
Miss Maudie's tin roof quelled the flames. - hearten
give encouragement to
Atticus said, "Whoa, son," so gently that I was greatly heartened. - inordinate
beyond normal limits
He wore a General Hood type beard of which he was inordinately vain. - lineament
the characteristic parts of a person's face
A flip of the coin revealed the uncompromising lineaments of Aunt Alexandra and Francis. - ingenuous
lacking in sophistication or worldliness
He was a year older than I, and I avoided him on principle: he enjoyed everything I disapproved of, and disliked my ingenuous diversions. - changeling
a child secretly exchanged for another in infancy
Aunt Alexandra was Atticus's sister, but when Jem told me about changelings and siblings, I decided that she had been swapped at birth, that my grandparents had perhaps received a Crawford instead of a Finch. - relativity
the quality of having significance vis-a-vis something else
I interrupted to make Uncle Jack let me know when he would pull it out, but he held up a bloody splinter in a pair of tweezers and said he yanked it while I was laughing, that was what was known as relativity. - innate
inborn or existing naturally
I was proceeding on the dim theory, aside from the innate attractiveness of such words, that if Atticus discovered I had picked them up at school he wouldn't make me go. - catwalk
a narrow pathway high in the air
There was a kitchen separate from the rest of the house, tacked onto it by a wooden catwalk; in the back yard was a rusty bell on a pole, used to summon field hands or as a distress signal; widow's walk was on the roof, but no widows walked there from it, Simon oversaw his overseer, watched the river-boats, and gazed into the lives of surrounding landholders. - don
put on clothes
There went with the house the usual legend about the Yankees: one Finch female, recently engaged, donned her complete trousseau to save it from raiders in the neighborhood; she became stuck in the door to the Daughters' Staircase but was doused with water and finally pushed through. - trousseau
clothes and linens that a bride brings to a marriage
There went with the house the usual legend about the Yankees: one Finch female, recently engaged, donned her complete trousseau to save it from raiders in the neighborhood; she became stuck in the door to the Daughters' Staircase but was doused with water and finally pushed through. - deportment
the way a person behaves toward other people
Aunt Alexandra's vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life. - ambrosia
fruit dessert made of oranges, bananas and shredded coconut
But her cooking made up for everything: three kinds of meat, summer vegetables from her pantry shelves; peach pickles, two kinds of cake and ambrosia constituted a modest Christmas dinner. - tentatively
in a hesitant manner
"You still mad, Jean Louise?" he asked tentatively. - tarry
stay longer than you should
I was debating whether to stand there or run, and tarried in indecision a moment too long: I turned to flee but Uncle Jack was quicker. - obstreperous
noisily and stubbornly defiant
"And why do I not understand children, Miss Jean Louise? Such conduct as yours required little understanding. It was obstreperous, disorderly and abusive—" - invective
abusive language used to express blame or censure
Her use of bathroom invective leaves nothing to the imagination. But she doesn't know the meaning of half she says... - contemporary
a person of nearly the same age as another
He was much older than the parents of our school contemporaries, and there was nothing Jem or I could say about him when our classmates said, "My father—"
Chapters 11-15
- passe
out of fashion
When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighborhood, but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting Boo Radley became passe, the business section of Maycomb drew us frequently up the street past the real property of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose. - bedeck
decorate
I had long had my eye on that baton: it was at V. J. Elmore's, it was bedecked with sequins and tinsel, it cost seventeen cents. - philippic
a speech of violent denunciation
I pulled at his sleeve, and we were followed up the sidewalk by a philippic on our family's moral degeneration, the major premise of which was that half the Finches were in the asylum anyway, but if our mother were living we would not have come to such a state. - umbrage
a feeling of anger caused by being offended
I wasn't sure what Jem resented most, but I took umbrage at Mrs. Dubose's assessment of the family's mental hygiene. - rectitude
righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
In later years, I sometimes wondered exactly what made Jem do it, what made him break the bonds of "You just be a gentleman, son," and the phase of self-conscious rectitude he had recently entered. - interdict
command against
What Jem did was something I'd do as a matter of course had I not been under Atticus's interdict, which I assumed included not fighting horrible old ladies. - skulk
move stealthily
We skulked around the kitchen until Calpurnia threw us out. - reconnaissance
the act of scouting
He set me on my feet, and I made a secret reconnaissance of Jem. - nether
lower
Her bottom plate was not in, and her upper lip protruded; from time to time she would draw her nether lip to her upper plate and carry her chin with it. - undulate
move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
From time to time she would open her mouth wide, and I could see her tongue undulate faintly. - viscous
having a relatively high resistance to flow
Occasionally it would say, "Pt," like some viscous substance coming to a boil. - escapade
any carefree episode
Atticus said, "Just before your escapade she called me to make her will. Dr. Reynolds told her she had only a few months left. Her business affairs were in perfect order but she said, 'There's still one thing out of order.'" - cantankerous
having a difficult and contrary disposition
"She was conscious to the last, almost. Conscious," he smiled, "and cantankerous. She still disapproved heartily of my doings, and said I'd probably spend the rest of my life balling you out of jail. She had Jessie fix you this box—" - altercation
a noisy quarrel
After one altercation when Jem hollered, "It's time you started bein' a girl and acting right!" - bode
indicate by signs
The beginning of that summer boded well: Jem could do as he pleased;
Calpurnia would do until Dill came. - denote
be a sign or indication of
Lightning rods guarding some graves denoted dead who rested uneasily; stumps of burned-out candles stood at the heads of infant graves. - ecclesiastical
of or associated with a church
There was no sign of piano, organ, hymn-books, church programs—the familiar ecclesiastical impedimenta we saw every Sunday. - garish
tastelessly showy
At each seat was a cheap cardboard fan bearing a garish Garden of Gethsemane, courtesy Tyndal's Hardware Co. - qualm
uneasiness about the fitness of an action
I did likewise with no qualms. - austere
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
His sermon was a forthright denunciation of sin, an austere declaration of the motto on the wall behind him: he warned his flock against the evils of heady brews, gambling, and strange women. - heady
extremely exciting as if by alcohol or a narcotic
His sermon was a forthright denunciation of sin, an austere declaration of the motto on the wall behind him: he warned his flock against the evils of heady brews, gambling, and strange women. - primer
an introductory textbook
"Did you teach him out of a primer, like us?" I asked. - prerogative
a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
She was never bored, and given the slightest chance she would exercise her royal prerogative: she would arrange, advise, caution, and warn. - flighty
guided by whim and fancy
Let a sixteen-year-old girl giggle in the choir and Aunty would say, "It just goes to show you, all the Penfield women are flighty." - oblique
not direct, explicit, or straightforward
Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was. - myopic
unable to see distant objects clearly
Instead, Maycomb grew and sprawled out from its hub, Sinkfield's Tavern, because Sinkfield reduced his guests to myopic drunkenness one evening, induced them to bring forward their maps and charts, lop off a little here, add a bit there, and adjust the center of the county to meet his requirements. - lop
cut off from a whole
Instead, Maycomb grew and sprawled out from its hub, Sinkfield's Tavern, because Sinkfield reduced his guests to myopic drunkenness one evening, induced them to bring forward their maps and charts, lop off a little here, add a bit there, and adjust the center of the county to meet his requirements. - inflection
the modification of pitch, tone, or volume when speaking
In his lawyer's voice, without a shade of inflection, he said: "Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations' gentle breeding—" - pensive
deeply or seriously thoughtful
Atticus looked pensive. "What's that again?" - rankle
make resentful or angry
Atticus's remarks were still rankling, which made me miss the request in Jem's question. - resilient
rebounding readily
As I passed the bed I stepped on something warm, resilient, and rather smooth. - manacle
shackle that can be locked around the wrist
Still in wrist manacles, he wandered two miles out of Meridian where he discovered a small animal show and was immediately engaged to wash the camel. - venerable
impressive by reason of age
The Maycomb jail was the most venerable and hideous of the county's buildings. - buttress
a support usually of stone or brick
Starkly out of place in a town of square-faced stores and steep-roofed houses, the Maycomb jail was a miniature Gothic joke one cell wide and two cells high, complete with tiny battlements and flying buttresses. - detractor
one who disparages or belittles the worth of something
The jail was Maycomb's only conversation piece: its detractors said it looked like a Victorian privy; its supporters said it gave the town a good solid respectable look... - privy
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
The jail was Maycomb's only conversation piece: its detractors said it looked like a Victorian privy; its supporters said it gave the town a good solid respectable look... - succinct
briefly giving the gist of something
"Called 'em off on a snipe hunt," was the succinct answer. - overture
a tentative suggestion to elicit the reactions of others
He seemed uncomfortable; he cleared his throat and looked away. My friendly overture had fallen flat. - uncouth
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
Atticus's mouth, even, was half-open, an attitude he had once described as uncouth. - impassive
having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
I looked around and up at Mr. Cunningham, whose face was equally impassive.
Chapter 16-19
- fey
slightly insane
Local opinion held Mr. Underwood to be an intense, profane little man, whose father in a fey fit of humor christened Braxton Bragg, a name Mr. Underwood had done his best to live down. - akimbo
bent outward with the joint away from the body
She was now standing arms akimbo, her shoulders drooping a little, her head cocked to one side, her glasses winking in the sunlight. - countenance
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
Miss Maudie answered: "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.” - formidable
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
Why they objected to Miss Maudie's yard was a mystery, heightened in my mind because for someone who spent all the daylight hours outdoors, Miss Maudie's command of Scripture was formidable. - subpoena
a writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness
"Better be careful he doesn't hand you a subpoena." - elucidate
make clear and comprehensible
We asked Miss Maudie to elucidate: she said Miss Stephanie seemed to know so much about the case she might as well be called on to testify. - affluent
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
The more affluent chased their food with drugstore Coca-Cola in bulb-shaped soda glasses. - vista
the visual percept of a region
But for the south porch, the Maycomb County courthouse was early Victorian, presenting an unoffensive vista when seen from the north. - sundry
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
To reach the courtroom, on the second floor, one passed sundry sunless county cubbyholes: the tax assessor, the tax collector, the county clerk, the county solicitor, the circuit clerk, the judge of probate lived in cool dim hutches that smelled of decaying record books mingled with old damp cement and stale urine. - assessor
an official who evaluates property in order to tax it
To reach the courtroom, on the second floor, one passed sundry sunless county cubbyholes: the tax assessor, the tax collector, the county clerk, the county solicitor, the circuit clerk, the judge of probate lived in cool dim hutches that smelled of decaying record books mingled with old damp cement and stale urine. - probate
act or process of proving that a will was properly executed
To reach the courtroom, on the second floor, one passed sundry sunless county cubbyholes: the tax assessor, the tax collector, the county clerk, the county solicitor, the circuit clerk, the judge of probate lived in cool dim hutches that smelled of decaying record books mingled with old damp cement and stale urine. - unobtrusive
not undesirably noticeable
I found myself in the middle of the Idlers' Club and made myself as unobtrusive as possible. - eccentricity
strange and unconventional behavior
After nine hours of listening to the eccentricities of Old Sarum's inhabitants, Judge Taylor threw the case out of court. - connivance
agreement on a secret plot
When asked upon what grounds, Judge Taylor said, "Champertous connivance," and declared he hoped to God the litigants were satisfied by each having had their public say. - litigant
a party to a lawsuit
When asked upon what grounds, Judge Taylor said, "Champertous connivance," and declared he hoped to God the litigants were satisfied by each having had their public say. - terse
brief and to the point
"What is it?" I whispered, and got a terse, "Sh-h!" - corroborate
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
His mouth was twisted into a purposeful half-grin, and his eyes happy about, and he said something about corroborating evidence, which made me sure he was showing off. - congenital
present at birth but not necessarily hereditary
No truant officers could keep their numerous offspring in school; no public health officer could free them from congenital defects, various worms, and the diseases indigenous to filthy surroundings. - corrugated
shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges
The cabin's plank walls were supplemented with sheets of corrugated iron, its roof shingled with tin cans hammered flat, so only its general shape suggested its original design: square, with four tiny rooms opening onto a shotgun hall, the cabin rested uneasily upon four irregular lumps of limestone. - glean
gather, as of natural products
The varmints had a lean time of it, for the Ewells gave the dump a thorough gleaning every day, and the fruits of their industry (those that were not eaten) made the plot of ground around the cabin look like the playhouse of an insane child: what passed for a fence was bits of tree limbs, broomsticks and tool shafts, all tipped with rusty hammer-heads, snaggle-toothed rake heads, shovels, axes and grubbing hoes, held on with pieces of barbed wire. - deign
do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to Miss Maudie Atkinson, had Miss Maudie deigned to permit a geranium on her premises. - acrimonious
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
We could tell, however, when debate became more acrimonious than professional, but this was from watching lawyers other than our father. - dogged
stubbornly unyielding
Smugness faded from it, replaced by a dogged earnestness that fooled Judge Taylor not at all: as long as Mr. Ewell was on the stand, the judge kept his eyes on him, as if daring him to make a false move. - earnest
characterized by a firm, humorless belief in one's opinions
Smugness faded from it, replaced by a dogged earnestness that fooled Judge Taylor not at all: as long as Mr. Ewell was on the stand, the judge kept his eyes on him, as if daring him to make a false move. - genial
diffusing warmth and friendliness
"Just a minute, sir," said Atticus genially. "Could I ask you a question or two?" - ruddy
inclined to a healthy reddish color
He seemed to grow ruddy again; his chest swelled, and once more he was a red little rooster. - complacently
in a self-satisfied manner
Mr. Ewell wrote on the back of the envelope and looked up complacently to see Judge Taylor staring at him as if he were some fragrant gardenia in full bloom on the witness stand, to see Mr. Gilmer half-sitting, half-standing at his table. - ambidextrous
equally skillful with each hand
"About your writing with your left hand, are you ambidextrous, Mr. Ewell?" - elements
violent or severe weather
In Maycomb County, it was easy to tell when someone bathed regularly, as opposed to yearly lavations: Mr. Ewell had a scalded look; as if an overnight soaking had deprived him of protective layers of dirt, his skin appeared to be sensitive to the elements. - mollify
cause to be more favorably inclined
Mollified, Mayella gave Atticus a final terrified glance and said to Mr. Gilmer, "Well sir, I was on the porch and—and he came along and, you see, there was this old chiffarobe in the yard Papa'd brought in to chop up for kindlin'—Papa told me to do it while he was off in the woods but I wadn't feelin' strong enough then, so he came by—" - brash
offensively bold
Apparently Mayella's recital had given her confidence but it was not her father's brash kind: there was something stealthy about hers, like a steady-eyed cat with a twitchy tail. - grudging
unwilling or reluctant
Mayella's hostility, which had subsided to grudging neutrality, flared again. - rile
disturb, especially by minor irritations
"When he's riled, has he ever beaten you?" - browbeat
discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner
"Now let's consider this calmly—" began Atticus, but Mr. Gilmer interrupted with an objection: he was not irrelevant or immaterial, but Atticus was browbeating the witness. - rove
move about aimlessly or without any destination
Mr. Braxton Underwood, who had been sitting quietly in a chair reserved for the Press, soaking up testimony with his sponge of a brain, allowed his bitter eyes to rove over the Colored balcony, and they met mine. - volition
the capability of conscious choice and decision
He seemed to be a respectable Negro, and a respectable Negro would never go up into somebody's yard of his own volition. - subtlety
the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze
Until my father explained it to me later, I did not understand the subtlety of Tom's predicament: he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run—a sure sign of guilt. - expunge
remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
Judge Taylor told the reporter to expunge anything he happened to have written down... - candid
openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
"You're very candid about this, why did you run so fast?" - impudent
improperly forward or bold
"Are you being impudent to, me, boy?"
Chapter 20-31
- iota
a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. - circumstantial
suggesting that something is true without proving it
We don't know, but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left. - unmitigated
not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity
And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to 'feel sorry' for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people's. - temerity
fearless daring
And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to 'feel sorry' for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people's. - idealist
someone not guided by practical considerations
I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system—that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. - acquit
pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
"You think they'll acquit him that fast?" asked Jem. - indignant
angered at something unjust or wrong
The streetlights were on, and we glimpsed Calpurnia's indignant profile as we passed beneath them. - demur
politely refuse or take exception to
"Mr. Jem," Reverend Sykes demurred, "this ain't a polite thing for little ladies to hear..." - becoming
according with custom or propriety
"Don't talk like that, Dill," said Aunt Alexandra. "It's not becoming to a child. It's—cynical." - fatalistic
accepting that everything that happens is inevitable
"Don't you oh well me, sir," Miss Maudie replied, recognizing Jem's fatalistic noises, "you are not old enough to appreciate what I said." - ruefully
in a manner expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
Jem grinned ruefully. "Wish the rest of the county thought that." - wry
humorously sarcastic or mocking
Atticus smiled wryly. "Do what? Put him under a peace bond?" - furtive
secret and sly or sordid
"What on earth could Ewell do to me, sister?"
"Something furtive," Aunt Alexandra said. "You may count on that."
"Nobody has much chance to be furtive in Maycomb," Atticus answered. - adamant
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
"Then it all goes back to the jury, then. We oughta do away with juries."
Jem was adamant. - stolid
having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
"Doesn't make it right," said Jem stolidly. - sordid
morally degraded
"I do. I guess it's to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom's. Besides," Atticus grinned, "I doubt if we'd ever get a complete case tried—the ladies'd be interrupting to ask questions." - impertinence
the trait of being rude and inclined to take liberties
Miss Stephanie eyed me suspiciously, decided that I meant no impertinence, and contented herself with, "Well, you won't get very far until you start wearing dresses more often." - duress
compulsory force or threat
Mr. Merriweather, a faithful Methodist under duress, apparently saw nothing personal in singing, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me..." - squalor
sordid dirtiness
"Jean Louise," she said, "you are a fortunate girl. You live in a Christian home with Christian folks in a Christian town. Out there in J. Grimes Everett's land there's nothing but sin and squalor." - bellows
a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air
When I was very small, and if I had been very good during the day, Atticus would let me pump its bellows while he picked out a tune with one finger. - sibilant
of speech sounds forcing air through a constricted passage
She had a curious habit of prefacing everything she said with a soft sibilant sound. - bovine
of or relating to or belonging to cattle
Her voice soared over the clink of coffee cups and the soft bovine sounds of the ladies munching their dainties. - dainty
something considered choice to eat
Her voice soared over the clink of coffee cups and the soft bovine sounds of the ladies munching their dainties. - brevity
the use of concise expressions
When Miss Maudie was angry her brevity was icy. - spurious
intended to deceive
The rural children who could, usually brought clippings from what they called The Grit Paper, a publication spurious in the eyes of Miss Gates, our teacher. - undue
not appropriate or proper in the circumstances
I crept from Jem's room and shut the door softly, lest undue noise set him off again. - florid
elaborately or excessively ornamented
One Sunday night, lost in fruity metaphors and florid diction, Judge Taylor's attention was wrenched from the page by an irritating scratching noise. - livery
the care of horses for pay
Each child did what he wanted to do, with assistance from other children if there was anything to be moved, such as placing a light buggy on top of the livery stable. - purloin
make off with belongings of others
Miss Tutti was sure those traveling fur sellers who came through town two days ago had purloined their furniture. - incantation
a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
We laughed. Haints, Hot Steams, incantations, secret signs, had vanished with our years as mist with sunrise. - irascible
characterized by anger
High above us in the darkness a solitary mocker poured out his repertoire in blissful unawareness of whose tree he sat in, plunging from the shrill kee, kee of the sunflower bird to the irascible quack of a bluejay, to the sad lament of Poor Will, Poor Will, Poor Will. - gait
the rate of moving, especially walking or running
We had slowed to a cautious gait, and were feeling our way forward so as not to bump into the tree. - billow
rise and move, as in waves
The auditorium was filling with people; the Maycomb County High School band had assembled in front below the stage; the stage footlights were on and the red velvet curtain rippled and billowed from the scurrying going on behind it. - rout
defeat with dire consequences
After consulting a tree to ascertain from its lichen which way was south, and taking no lip from the subordinates who ventured to correct him, Colonel Maycomb set out on a purposeful journey to rout the enemy and entangled his troops so far northwest in the forest primeval that they were eventually rescued by settlers moving inland. - exploit
a notable achievement
Mrs. Merriweather gave a thirty minute description of Colonel Maycomb's exploits. - flounder
walk with great difficulty
Metal ripped on metal and I fell to the ground and rolled as far as I could, floundering to escape my wire prison. - pinion
bind the arms of
Its owner said, "Uff!" and tried to catch my arms, but they were lightly pinioned. - untrammeled
not confined or limited
He liked to tell things his own way, untrammeled by state or defense, and sometimes it took him a while. - telltale
disclosing unintentionally
His age was beginning to show, his one sign of inner turmoil: the strong line of his jaw melted a little, one became aware of telltale creases forming under his ears, one noticed not his jetblack hair but the gray patches growing at his temples. - shrewd
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
He was shrewder than I, however: the moment I sat down I began to feel sleepy.