contagious - Capable of transmitting disease; carrying a disease, catching, transmittable, infectious
Page 9 - "Right now?" Miss Hemphill stared. "Why, he shouldn't be in school with red spots! It could be measles or chicken pox . . . any number of things . . . contagious things."
penitentiary - a prison for those convicted of major crimes, correctional institution, joint, keep, lockup, pen, penal institution, prison, reformatory, slammer
Page 14 - We figured they were headed straight for %*!#, by way of the state penitentiary . . . until they got themselves mixed up with the church, and my mother, and our Christmas pageant.
Chapter 2 vocabulary
privet - any of various Old World shrubs having smooth entire leaves and terminal panicles of small white flowers followed by small black berries; many used for hedges
Page 16 - One of the neighbor women called out, "Helen, are you in much pain?" and Mrs. Armstrong yelled back, "Yes, terrible! Don't let those children tear up my privet hedge!"
sentiment - a thought, view, or attitude, especially one based mainly on emotion instead of reason, emotion, opinion, attitude, outlook, reaction
Page 21 - He shrugged. "I like all the other stuff but she said to write down what we liked best, and what I like best is no Herdmans."
"Not a very Christian sentiment," my father said.
Chapter 3 vocabulary
sacrilegious - grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred, disrespectful, profane, blasphemous, improper, godless, sinful
Page 35 - Alice's mother told the Ladies' Aid that it was sacrilegious to let Imogene Herdman be Mary.
barge - to intrude or interrupt, especially rudely, break in, burst in, collide, infringe, muscle in, push
Page 36 - Some people said it wasn't fair for a whole family who didn't even go to our church to barge in and take over the pageant.
Chapter 4 vocabulary
espoused - to take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry, betrothed, engaged
Page 41 - ". . . Joseph and Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child . . ."
vengeance - with great violence or force, punishment, revenge, settling of scores, retaliation
Page 45 - "Out of the black night with horrible vengeance, the Mighty Marvo---"
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