The Tell-Tale Heart Vocabulary

"Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell."

"Acute" means--

• precious or adorable

• unintentional, by accident

• sharp or sudden

• increasing by degrees

"You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him."

"Dissimulation" means--

• pretense, lying

• similar to, but not exactly the same

• glee, a sense of triumph

• disinterest, boredom

"… I put in a dark lantern all closed, closed so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly, very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep."

"Cunningly" means--

• with a good flavor

• with bad intentions

• allowing for no mistakes

• sneakily, slyly, and with great cleverness

“...for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.”

To "vex" is to--

• anger or annoy greatly

• cough quietly

• draw upon

• amuse lightly

“So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.”

"Profound" means--

• insightful, deep

• in favor of finding things

• suspicious and distrustful

• silly and frivilous

“A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity.”

"Sagacity" means--

• strength and power

• boldness

• keen in perception, wisdom

• intense focus

“I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it --you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily --until, at length a simple dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.”

"Stealthily" means--

• in great haste

• secretively, so as not to attract attention

• with deep concern and caring

• with insectlike movements

“It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage. But even yet I refrained and kept still.”

"Refrain" means--

• to resist an impulse and hold back

• to frain again

• to think deeply about something

• to reconsider

“The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.”

To "wane" is to

• increase in brightness

• go on endlessly and ceaselessly

• wear away at something, to erode

• decrease in size; diminish; fade

“There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha!”

"Wary" means--

• watchful and cautious

• dressed up nicely

• quick to act

• concerned for the future