Key Vocabulary
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
By
Mark Twain
Realism
 (n) the quality or fact of representing a person, thing, or
situation accurately or in a way that is true to life;
Authenticity
 “A number of models in period costume add realism to each
room.”
Satire
 (n) the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose
and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context
of contemporary politics and other topical issues; ridicule,
caricature
 “This poem was a brilliant satire on contemporary manners,
and enjoyed an extraordinary success.”
raspy
 (adj) Unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound. hoarse
 “I was getting sort of used to the widow’s ways, too, and they
warn’t so raspy on me.
haggle
 (v) An instance of intense argument (as in bargaining)
negotiate, wrangle
 “I catched a catfish and haggled him open with my saw, and
towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper.”
jabber
 (v) Talk in a noisy or excited manner; chatter, babble
 “A couple of squirrels set on a limb and jabbered at me very
friendly.”
limber
 (adj) Easily bent; flexible
 “Pap was agoing on so he never noticed where his old
limber legs was taking him to, so he went head over heels
over the tub of salt pork…”
careen
 (v - intransitive) Pitched dangerously to one side; lean, sway
 “The door slammed to because it was on the careened side;
and in a half second I was in the boat, and Jim come tumbling
after me.”
loll
 (v) To be lazy or idle; relaxed
 “When breakfast was ready we lolled on the grass and eat it
smoking hot.”
slough
 (n) A hollow filled with mud; swamp region, muddy ground
 “There was a slough or a creek leading out of it on the other
side that went miles away…”
wallow
 (v) Roll around; as in “pigs were wallowing in the mud”
 “…he rolled himself up in his blanket and wallowed in
under the old pine table…”
providence
 (n) timely preparation for future eventualities; God or nature
as providing protective or spiritual care; foresight, wisdom,
destiny
 “It was tempting providence to turn a bout in the harbor
against the sun.”
temperance
 (n) moderation or self-restraint, especially in eating and drinking;
Abstinence, self-control, prohibition
 "Well, I'd ben a-running' a little temperance revival thar 'bout a
week, and was the pet of the women folks…”
abolitionism
 (n) a historical movement to end the African and Indian slave
trade and set slaves free.
 “He became an abolitionist in 1835, after seeing an
antislavery meeting at Utica broken up by a mob.”
thrash
 (v)beat (a person or animal) repeatedly and violently with a
stick or whip; strike, beat, pound
 (n) a violent or noisy movement, typically involving hitting
something repeatedly.
 “Anyone involved in this show should be
soundly thrashed to within an inch of his or her worthless
existence.”
contrived
 (v) Make or work out a plan for; devise, construct, fabricate
 “Why, I spotted you for a boy when you was threading the
needle; and I contrived the other things just to make
certain.”
skiff
 (n)Any of various small boats propelled by oars , sails or
motor; shallow, flat-bottomed
 “So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river two mile
and a half, to the big scar on the hillside.”
rapscallion
 (n) a mischievous person.
 “All kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out.”
gaudy
 (adj)Tastelessly showy; ostentatious
 “I read considerable to Jim about kings and dukes and earls
and such, and how gaudy they dressed, and how much style
they put on…”
phrenology
 (n) the detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as
a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.
 “The island itself is vaguely brain-shaped, turning the map
into a kind of cartographic phrenology of the self.”
muse
 (n) a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the
source of inspiration for a creative artist; creative influence,
inspiration
 (v) to ponder; to think something over.
 “She mused that it might take longer to drive than walk
home.”
benefactor
 (n) a person who gives money or other help to a person or
cause; supporter, patron
 “The benefactor was so generous to fund the “Snowflake”
project for our winter formal.”
ingenious
 (adj)(describing a person) clever, original, and inventive.
 (adj) (describing an object or idea) cleverly and originally
devised and well suited to its purpose.
 “We have been trying for years to fix problems using
our ingenious ideas.”
addle
 (v) Mix up or confuse; unable to think clearly
“But she counted and counted till she got that addled
she’d start to count in the basket for a
spoon sometimes; and so, three times
they come out right, and three times they
come out wrong.”
disposition
 a person's inherent qualities of mind and character; nature,
temperament, character
 the way in which something is placed or arranged, especially
in relation to other things.
 “A sweet-natured girl of a placid disposition.”
impudent
 (adj) not showing due respect for another person;
impertinent, cocky.
 "He is the most impudent and opinionative fellow I ever
knew."
insurrection
 (n) a violent uprising against an authority or government;
rebellion, revolution, riot, uprising.
 “The threat of violent insurrection appears to be nudging
the Saudi princes towards accepting the need for political
reforms.”