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WorksheetsChapter 1-20 Vocabulary
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
The wrestler struggled to grapple his opponent to the ground.
What does the word 'grapple' mean?
having or showing the attitude of people who speak and
behave in a very formal and serious way because they believe that they are better,
smarter, or more important than other people
to try to solve a problem : to deal with a problem
decayed with usually a very bad or disgusting smell
to make (someone) feel very ashamed or foolish
I have verified the signatures to be those of Samuel W. Westing and his two witnesses:
Julian R. Eastman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westing Paper Products
Corporation, and Sidney Sikes, M.D., Coroner of Westing County. Although the will
you are about to hear may seem eccentric, I pledge my good name and reputation
on its legality.”
What does the word eccentric mean in this sentence?
not having enough of something (such as money or food) for
comfort or happiness
decayed with usually a very bad or disgusting smell
very pleasant to taste
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
She was more interested in the two men entering the room: the burly male nurse and
that creep of a lawyer, Plum.
What does the word burly mean in this sentence?
very pleasant to taste
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
strong and heavy
not having enough of something (such as money or food) for
comfort or happiness
Then one day (it happened to be the Fourth of July), a most uncommon-looking
delivery boy rode around town slipping letters under the doors of the chosen tenants-
to-be.
What does the word tenants mean in this sentence?
a person, business, group, etc., that pays to use another person's
property : someone who rents or leases a house, apartment, etc., from a landlord
the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical
way : the act of scrutinizing something
the quality or state of being weak or ill especially because of old
age
a food served in small portions before the main part of a meal
“When I saw the invitation in the elevator I suggested to Mr. Hoo that he call the
judge to see if she needed hors d’oeuvres; and sure enough, he got an order for six
dozen.”
What does the word hors d'oeuvre mean in this sentence?
the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical
way : the act of scrutinizing something
a person who tries to win something in a contest especially : a
person who has a good chance of winning
very pleasant to taste
a food served in small portions before the main part of a meal
“Not so bad. I picked up odd jobs here and there after I got fired from the Westing
plant for trying to organize the union, but mostly I boxed. I wasn’t no middleweight
contender, but I wasn’t bad, either.
What does the word contender mean in this sentence?
to select or choose (someone or something) from a group
a person who tries to win something in a contest especially : a
person who has a good chance of winning
the quality or state of being weak or ill especially because of old
age
a person, business, group, etc., that pays to use another person's
property : someone who rents or leases a house, apartment, etc., from a landlord
In it he painstakingly entered the information culled from reports the private
detective delivered each day to Judge Ford’s office: photostats of birth
certificates, death notices, marriage licenses, drivers’ licenses, vehicular accident
reports, criminal records, hospital records, school records. To these the doorman
added the results of his own snooping.
What does the word cull mean in this sentence?
to laugh loudly
to make (someone) feel very ashamed or foolish
to try to solve a problem : to deal with a problem
to select or choose (someone or something) from a group
Theo leaned closer. “And high above the putrid corpse a crystal chandelier is
tinkling. It tinkles and twinkles, but not one breath of air stirs in that gloomy tomb of
a room.”
What does the word putrid mean in this sentence?
decayed with usually a very bad or disgusting smell
not having enough of something (such as money or food) for
comfort or happiness
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
having or showing the attitude of people who speak and
behave in a very formal and serious way because they believe that they are better,
smarter, or more important than other people
“Then we are still waiting for one, no, two more,” the lawyer said, fumbling with
his papers, his hands shaking under the strict scrutiny of the judge.
What does the word scrutiny mean in this sentence?
the quality or state of being weak or ill especially because of old
age
a food served in small portions before the main part of a meal
the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical
way : the act of scrutinizing something
the fact or state of being involved in or connected to something
(such as a crime)
Oh, it wasn’t just that. It wasn’t even the humiliation of her mother chiding her about
the “twin” costume (in front of everybody) and sending her back to their apartment
to change clothes. It was more than that, it was everything.
What does the word humiliate mean in this sentence?
to make (someone) feel very ashamed or foolish
to laugh loudly
to select or choose (someone or something) from a group
to try to solve a problem : to deal with a problem
“I say the restaurant needs a name people won’t forget,” Grace continued. “A
name like Hoo’s On First.”
Jake could not help himself. He tried to cover a loud guffaw with louder coughing.
What does the word guffaw mean in this sentence?
to select or choose (someone or something) from a group
the quality or state of being weak or ill especially because of old
age
to try to solve a problem : to deal with a problem
to laugh loudly
“The only thing that soothes the horrendous pain is listening to music.”
What does the word horrendous mean in this sentence?
very bad or unpleasant
strong and heavy
thinking of yourself as having a particular position, job,
responsibility, etc., without considering the opinions or wishes of other people
very pleasant to taste
The only child of immigrant parents, orphaned at the age of twelve, self-educated,
hard-working Samuel Westing saved his laborer’s wages and bought a small paper
mill. From these meager beginnings he built the giant Westing Paper Products
Corporation and founded the city of Westingtown to house his thousands of workers
and their families.
What does the word meager mean in this sentence?
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
very pleasant to taste
not having enough of something (such as money or food) for
comfort or happiness
to laugh loudly
Doorman, he calls himself, and the others had signed simple things, too: cook,
dressmaker. The podiatrist had even made fun of his “position.” She must seem as
pompous as that intern, putting on airs with that title.
What does the word pompous mean in this sentence?
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
having or showing the attitude of people who speak and
behave in a very formal and serious way because they believe that they are better,
smarter, or more important than other people
not having enough of something (such as money or food) for
comfort or happiness
very pleasant to taste
“Let me remind you, all of you, that a person is innocent until proven guilty. We are
free to choose whether or not to share our clues without any implication of guilt.
What does the word implication mean in the sentence?
the fact or state of being involved in or connected to something
(such as a crime)
the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical
way : the act of scrutinizing something
objects that are used to do a particular activity : objects of a
particular kind
a person who tries to win something in a contest especially : a
person who has a good chance of winning
“Exactly, Mr. McSouthers. Sam Westing plotted against the person he held
responsible for his daughter’s suicide, the person who forced Violet Westing to
marry a man she loathed.”
What does the word loathe mean in this sentence?
to select or choose (someone or something) from a group
to try to solve a problem : to deal with a problem
to laugh loudly
to hate (someone or something) very much
Treat your taste buds to a scrumptious meal while feasting your eyes on
the stunning snowscape before it melts away. Reasonable prices, too.
What does the word scrumptious mean in this sentence?
thinking of yourself as having a particular position, job,
responsibility, etc., without considering the opinions or wishes of other people
very pleasant to taste
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
decayed with usually a very bad or disgusting smell
“You’re quite right,” Grace replied. “I thought the poor thing handled her infirmity
with great courage—traveling mimosa, my future son-in-law says; he’s a doctor, you
know.
What does the word infirmity mean in this sentence?
the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical
way : the act of scrutinizing something
a food served in small portions before the main part of a meal
the fact or state of being involved in or connected to something
(such as a crime)
the quality or state of being weak or ill especially because of old
age
Angela carefully dug through the embroidery, personal items, and other
paraphernalia in her tapestry bag and pulled out the newspaper folded to the
Westing obituary.
What does the word paraphernalia mean in this sentence?
objects that are used to do a particular activity : objects of a
particular kind
a food served in small portions before the main part of a meal
the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical
way : the act of scrutinizing something
a person who tries to win something in a contest especially : a
person who has a good chance of winning
(An unhappy woman, that self-appointed heiress, the judge thought. Unfulfilled,
possibly disturbed. Capable of the burglaries, perhaps, but not the bombings. She
wouldn’t have hurt her own daughter—at least, not Angela.)
What does the word self-appointed mean in this sentence?
very pleasant to taste
thinking of yourself as having a particular position, job,
responsibility, etc., without considering the opinions or wishes of other people
tending to act in strange or unusual ways
having or showing the attitude of people who speak and
behave in a very formal and serious way because they believe that they are better,
smarter, or more important than other people
