1. Night Vocabulary Chapters 1-4
Holocaust Unit
Night Vocabulary Chapters 1-4

2. Chapter 1 & 2 Vocabulary – 6 words
penury n. extreme poverty
“He was poor and lived in utter penury” (Wiesel 3).
billeted v. lodged (soldiers lodging in civilian homes)
“The officers were billeted in private homes, even in Jewish homes” (Wiesel 9).
edict n. official statement; law
“First edict: Jews were prohibited from leaving their residences for three days, under penalty of death” (Wiesel 10).
surreptitiously adv. Secretively; sneakily
“Some of the Jewish police surreptitiously went to fill a few jugs” (Wiesel 16).
conflagration n. an extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property
“The stars were but sparks of the immense conflagration that was consuming us” (Wiesel 21).
hermetically adv. completely sealed; airtight
“The world had become a hermetically sealed cattle car” (Wiesel 24).

3. Chapter 3 Vocabulary – 8 words
sanctify v. set apart as or declare holy
“Why should I sanctify his name?” (Wiesel 33).
lucidity n. the ability to see things clearly
redemption n. salvation or rescue
oblivion n. the state of forgetting or being completely forgotten
“In one terrifying moment of lucidity, I thought of us as damned souls wandering through the void, souls condemned to wander through space until the end of time, seeking redemption, seeking oblivion, without any hope of finding either” (Wiesel 36).
harangued v. scolded or lectured
“He harangued us from the center of the barrack” (Wiesel 38).
convalescent adj. recovery
“You are in Auschwitz. And Auschwitz is not a convalescent home” (Wiesel 38).
camaraderie n. brotherhood, good fellowship
“And now, here is a prayer, or rather a piece of advice: let there be camaraderie among you” (Wiesel 41).
veritable adj. very much so; true
“The new one was ferocious and his aides were veritable monsters” (Wiesel 44).

4. Chapter 4 Vocabulary – 4 words
wizened adj. dry, shrunken, wrinkled
“His name was Alphonse. A young man with a startlingly wizened face” (Wiesel 51).
imprudent adj. not wise; lacking discretion; rash.
“It was imprudent of me to say those few words to you, but I knew that you would not betray me” (Wiesel 54).
untenable adj. not able to be maintained
“This went on for two weeks. It was untenable. We had to give in” (Wiesel 56).
manacled v. handcuffed
“His manacled hands did not tremble. His eyes were coolly assessing the hundreds of SS guards…” (Wiesel 62).