Vocabulary List 8 By: Cristal, Dominic, Grayson, Leslie, and Sofi.

Recede  Recede(Verb)- To move back or away from a limit, point, or mark.  Book: "Every now and then… Onion could see the pointy roofs of the wizards’ towers leaning against the sky as if they were waiting for him…and then the towers would recede, and he would go with them”(38).  Example: When the high tide receded, the sunken treasure could be seen glistening in the morning sun.

Recoil  Recoil (verb)- To shrink back in horror or disgust. To draw back as upon firing.  Book: “[A white bird] flung itself at the door where Halsa stood, peering in. She recoiled” (42).  Example: When I finally met the phantom who had been haunting me, I recoiled in fear at his monstrous face.

Accursed  adjective  Horrible, detestable  “There were a lot of stairs this time. Of course the accursed wizards of Perfil would know what she was up to. This was their favorite kind of wizardly joke, making her climb and climb and climb” (70).

Subdued  adjective  lacking in vitality, intensity, or strength  “The women from the town had brought food and bedding. They seemed subdued and anxious, and it was hard to tell whether it was the approaching army or the wizards of Perfil that scared them the most” (67).

Wistful  Wistful (adjective) characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.  Sentence from story: “Halsa shook off a last, wistful regret, almost sorry not to have been eaten” (58).  Example Sentence: Will thought wistfully of his father as he missed him while he was away.

Treachery  Treachery (noun) violation of faith; betrayal of trust; treason.  Sentence from story: “There were other stories, sad stories about long-ago wizards who had fought great battles or gone on long journeys. Wizards who had perished by treachery or been imprisoned by ones they’d thought friends” (58).  Our sentence: The treachery of treason against one’s country is punishable by death.

Smug  Part of speech: adj.  Definition: very pleased and satisfied with oneself  “The Wizard of Peril” sentence: “’Oh stop yelling. Go away. How am I supposed to stop a train?’ Onion said…Halsa looked smug.”  Example sentence: The student had a smug look on his face as he received his test score.

Capitulate  Part of speech: verb  Definition: to give up or give in; to surrender  “The Wizard if Peril” Sentence: “‘Something bad is going to happen,’ Onion said, capitulating.”  Example sentence: My sister would not capitulate to picking me up when I continuously asked for a ride.

Parsimonious  adjective  unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy or frugal  “Wizards are sly, greedy, absentminded, obsessed with stars and bugs, parsimonious, frivolous, invisible, tyrannous, untrustworthy, secretive, inquisitive, meddlesome, long-lived, dangerous, useless, and have far too good an opinion of themselves” (50).

Conscript  verb  enlisted, Recruit, Draft  someone who is enlisted, typically into the armed services.  “He hasn’t paid his army in two years. When they rebel, he just conscripts another army and sends them off to fight the first one” (45).  He was conscripted into the army without a choice