Counting by 7s

1. the lion’s share (phrase):

the largest part of something; most of something

“Mai does the lion’s share of the speaking and eating (I give her my cone once I’ve had

enough), and all I know for certain, with the sun on our faces and the sweet ice cream holding our attention, is that this is a day that I will never forget.” (Chapter 1)

2. onomatopoetic (adjective):

when a word sounds like what it means, for example, “buzz.”

“How onomatopoetic is that word? Fetus. Insane.” (Chapter 2)

3. pigment (noun):

the coloring in plants or animals

“They are so white, they are almost blue. They don’t have circulation problems; they just don’t have much pigment.” (Chapter 2)

4. quantify (verb):

measure in numbers; calculate

“Counselor Winkleman had elaborate notes and wrote up painstakingly detailed reports where he made an effort to quantify his students’ abilities and deficiencies.” (Chapter 5)

5. longevity (noun):

long life

“The combination of olive oil, hearty vegetables, and cheese that comes from goat’s milk, mixed with decent servings of fish and meat, had been shown in numerous studies to promote longevity.” (Chapter 6)

6. indigenous (adjective):

native, an original part of a region

“I took great interest in the cultures of indigenous people.” (Chapter 8)

7. botanical (adjective):

having to do with plants, about plants

“I told her about some of my plants and gave a simple explanation of a few of my backyard botanical experiments.” (Chapter 12)

8. receded (verb, past tense):

moved farther away, got smaller

“I insisted on keeping the door to the trailer open so that I could watch as Mai and Quang-ha receded into the distance.” (Chapter 12)

9. jutting (adjective):

sticking out [from the verb jut: to extend or stick out]

“The police officers, with Dell Duke at their jutting elbows, make phone calls.” (Chapter 17)

10. at intervals (phrase):

with pauses in between

“She had her eyes closed, yet tears still oozed out of the corners and ran at intervals down her dark cheeks.” (Chapter 18)

11. enormity (noun):

great importance, immensity, extreme badness

“He thought about following their car as they drove away, but suddenly the weight of what had happened, the enormity of the situation, hit him hard.” (Chapter 19)

12. bootlegged (adjective):

gotten illegally; gotten without permission

“There is an ancient-looking air conditioner hanging on to the ledge of the bootlegged window, and the glass above the machine has been covered with a piece of decorative cloth.” (Chapter 20)

12. eradication (noun):

the complete elimination of something

“She saw more of me than any other student and we shared a love of germ eradication.” (Chapter 22)

13. introspection (noun):

quiet reflection on your own thoughts and feelings

“The ability to keep your mouth shut is usually a sign of intelligence. Introspection requires you to think and analyze.” (Chapter 22)

14. profusely (adverb):

in great amounts, in abundance, a lot

“Blood suddenly is everywhere because blows to the head bleed profusely.” (Chapter 23)

15. empirical (adjective):

factual, provable

“I find no literature or empirical data directed to a middle schooler.” (Chapter 26)

16. advocate (noun):

a person who speaks for someone or something; a person who offers support for someone or something

“I’m done with my job as consumer advocate/health adviser.” (Chapter 28)

17. noxious (adjective):

poisonous; toxic; harmful

“Now I take a deep breath and hold the noxious fumes in my lungs.” (Chapter 28)

18. scrutiny (noun):

close, careful inspection

“And if there was one thing Dell Duke understood, it was that he didn’t do well under scrutiny.” (Chapter 30)

19. pragmatist (noun):

a person who chooses the most practical or realistic solution

“Mai is the ultimate pragmatist. Maybe she gets that from her mother.” (Chapter 36)

20. reflexive (adjective):

automatic, spontaneous

“Their behavior appears completely reflexive and natural.” (Chapter 39)

21. germination (noun):

sprouting; early growth (as of a seed)

“This will ease the process of germination.” (Chapter 40)

22. indistinct (adjective):

not clear; blurred; hard to hear (or see)

“Instead, I usually pretend not to hear or mumble something that has a few indistinct syllables.” (Chapter 43)

23: regime (noun):

a set of rules a person follows; a system to follow

“Dell comes in this afternoon from his exercise regime and he’s red-faced and sweaty.” (Chapter 45)

24. taking the initiative (phrase):

taking the first step to get something done; initiating the action needed to get something done

“Taking the initiative to improve the property as a renter shows a commitment to the values we at North South Bank hold dear.” (Chapter 48)

25. executed (verb, past participle):

completed; carried out

“Now that we have permission, the plan can be executed.” (Chapter 48)

26. tilled (verb, past participle):

prepared for planting

“I investigate the newly tilled soil downstairs in the future garden.” (Chapter 49)

27. pulverized (verb, past participle):

crushed into very tiny pieces

“But the good news is that the solid ground really gets pulverized.” (Chapter 49)

28. propel (verb):

to cause something to move; to drive something forward

“Certain conditions propel a stream of dry air from the mountains to the shoreline.” (Chapter 49)

29. spectacle (noun):

an occurrence that gets everyone’s attention, that makes people look

“I think everyone in the building has really appreciated the spectacle.” (Chapter 52)