The City of Ember

1. The City of Ember Vocabulary Week 1

2. Endeavor • A conscientious  effort toward an end; an earnest attempt; try; effort • Page 2 - Nothing about this endeavor is certain. There may be no one left in the city by then or no safe place for them to come back to."

3. Plummet • To fall straight down; plunge; nose-dive; crash down; tumble • Page 20 - He pulled himself upward, pushed again-he was higher now than Lina had been-but suddenly his hands slid and he came plummeting down.

4. Hoist • To raise or haul up with or as if with the help of a mechanical apparatus; heave; lift • Page 23 - Lina laughed, hoisted her up, and danced with her around the shop.

5. Methodically • Characterized by ordered and systematic habits or behavior; logically; carefully; precisely; meticulously • page 58 - Every day a team of people methodically sorted through the trash heaps in search of anything that might be at all useful.

6. Flank • The right or left side of a military formation • Page 86 - The door of the Gathering Hall opened, and the mayor came out, flanked by two guards.

7. Vague • Indistinctly felt, perceived, understood, or recalled; hazy; unclear; fuzzy • Page 112 - She vaguely recalled the incident of the light pole.

8. The City of Ember Week 2 Vocab

9. Strewn • To spread here and there; scatter • Page 122 - On the wall, clothes hung from hooks, and more clothes were strewn untidily on the floor.

10. Lurk • To move furtively; sneak; lie in wait; hang about; creep around • Page 132 - She had frightening dreams in which something dangerous was lurking in the darkness.

11. Egress • A path or opening for going out; an exit; door; outlet

12. Convoluted • Having numerous overlapping coils or folds; complex; elaborate; intricate • Page 181 - He ran a finger over their convoluted surface.

13. Vicious • Spiteful; malicious; nasty; cruel; mean; spiteful • Page 200 - "Spreading vicious rumors," was the answer.

14. Kiosk • A small structure, often open on one or more sides, used as a newsstand or booth. • A cylindrical structure on which advertisements are posted. • Pages 31-32 – The Gathering Hall occupied one entire side of Harken Square, which was the city’s central plaza. The square was paved with stone. It had a few benches bolted to the ground here and there, as well as a couple of kiosks for notices.

15. Refugees • One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution; person in exile

16. Catastrophe • A sudden violent change in the earth's surface; a cataclysm; calamity; devastation; ruin; disaster • Page 261 -What kind of place can this be, safe from earthly catastrophes?

17. The City of Ember Week 3 Vocab

18. Inhabited • to occupy as a place of settled residence or habitat; to live somewhere • Example: The people inhabited the city for 200 years.

19. Weary • Exhausted • Example: Julie was weary from her long journey through the desert.

20. Solemnly • Somber, seriously, gloomy, or awe-inspiring in manner • Example: John solemnly walked through the memorial in New York where the victims of 911 were honored.

21. Lumbered • To move around in a clumsy way • Example: The heavy, clumsy elephant lumbered through the African savanna.

22. Labyrinth • a place constructed of or full of intricate passageways and blind alleys • Example: The castle hallways were like a maze, or labyrinth, with twists and turns that made it easy to get lost.

23. Raucous • Disagreeably harsh; disorderly in a loud way • Example: The raucous middle school boys stomped and yelled through the hallways.

24. Clamor • A noisy shouting • Example: The clamor of the crowd grew louder when the band appeared on stage at the concert.

25. Reverberating • To continue as if in a series of echoes • Example: When Jill yelled at the top of her lungs, she heard her voice reverberating down the hallway.

26. Enmeshed • To catch or entangle in • Example: Travis struggled, but his foot, enmeshed in the net, prevented him from escaping.