Zeitoun by Dave Eggers Vocabulary List 2

Despondent “Zeitoun's family in Syria became increasingly despondent and resigned to the loss of Abdulrahman” (Eggers 193). Definition: feeling in extremely low spirits due to loss of hope or courage Adjective

Porous [Kathy] felt weak, porous” (Eggers 184). Definition: containing pores - having holes through which something might pass Adjective

Drone “The uninterrupted drone of the engine would have kept him awake” (Eggers 225). Definition: a continuous, monotonous sound Noun

Mitigate “With that help, the chaos that had brought him to this cage would be reined in and the misunderstanding manifested here would be mitigated” (Eggers 225). Definition: to make less severe, serious, or painful Verb

Aberration When he woke in the cell, “Zeitoun convinced himself that the previous day had been an aberration” (Eggers 225). Definition: something (a problem or situation) that is unusual and unexpected Noun

Rectify “There was no means to post bail. It would take some time before it could be rectified” (Eggers 273). Definition: to correct or make right Verb

Gregarious “He said his name was Jerry. He was gregarious, full of energy, and made jokes about his predicament” (Eggers 230). Definition: sociable, outgoing, affable; fond of company Adjective

Parse “Zeitoun was deeply suspicious, still trying to parse how this man had ended up in their cage, and what his intentions might be” (Eggers 231). Definition: to study something deeply by looking carefully at its parts; to analyze Verb

Punitive “The ban on phone calls, then, was purely punitive” (Eggers 236). Definition: inflicted or intended as punishment Adjective

Specious “Any connection, no matter how specious, might be used to justify his incarceration and extend it” Eggers 275). Definition: appearing to be true, but actually false Adjective