The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

Scarlet Ibis (Seaworld.org) An exotic red bird Solid scarlet except for black wing tips; bill is long, thin and curved downward; neck is long and slender; legs are also long and thin with partially webbed feet; juveniles are dull, grayish brown Habitat: Tropical regions and rainforests Range: Central America and Northern South America from Venezuela to Brazil Diet: fruit, seeds, insects, fish, meat

Scarlet Ibis

Caul Noun Membrane, layer of tissue on a baby’s head at birth. Thought to be good luck

Caul Some babies are born with caul which is a membrane covering its head. It’s referred to as “born in the caul.”

Careen Verb To move from side to side in an uncontrolled manner

Careen The pig pong ball careens across the table.

Serene Adjective Calm

Serene

Infallibility Noun Not capable of error

Infallibility His infallibility swimming the butterfly caused him to win gold.

Blighted Adjective A plant disease

Blighted

Evanesced Verb Vanished

Evanesced

Doggedness Noun Stubborn persistence

Doggedness

Reiterate Verb To say over and over again

Reiterate

Precariously Adverb Insecurely; based on unproved statements or conclusions

Precariously The girl sitting at my lunch table precariously announced it was going to snow this afternoon; we walked outside after school, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Clove Noun Separation or split between two things

Clove

Rank Adjective Growing in vigorous, wild abundance

Rank

Vermilion Noun/Adjective Bright red

Vermillion

Prim Adjective Neat and trim

Prim

Iridescent Adjective Rainbow-like

Iridescent

Solder Verb to bond or repair

Solder

Vortex Noun Something that draws everything to its center like a whirlpool

Vortex

Naught Noun Nothing

Naught

Heresy Noun Controversial belief

Heresy Many consider Darwin’s theories heresy since it caused a huge divide between science and religion.

Flashback Noun Literary device where an earlier episode or memory is inserted into the sequence of a storyline.

Allusion Noun Literary reference in a work to another piece of literature, music, art, history, or Biblical incidence.