New National Fourth Reader

de vic'es, curious marks or shapes.

in scrip'tion, any thing cut or written on a solid substance.

trans lat'ing, expressing in another language.

mem'o ra ble, worthy of being remembered.

spec'i mens, small portions of things.

in ge nu'i ty, skill in inventing.

tour'ists, travelers; sight-seers.

ded'i cat ed, set apart for a special purpose.

cer'e mo nies, forms; special customs.

site, the place where any thing is fixed.

mon'o lith, a column consisting of a single stone.

o rig'i nal ly, in the first place.

A

a board', on board of.
ac cept', take; receive.
ac'ci dents, effects; unusual results.
ac cord'ing ly, agreeably to a plan.
ac count', statement of facts; bill.
ad mit'tance, permission to enter; entrance.
ad vice', opinion worthy to be followed; counsel.
af ford', give; produce.
a'gen cy, office of an agent; action.
aid, help; assistance.
al to geth'er, with united action; completely.
a mid', in the midst of; surrounded by.
anxi' e ty (ang zi'e ty), concern respecting some future event.
ap plause', praise.
ap ply', suit; agree.
arch'es, places made of stone, brick, etc.
art, skill.
a shamed', affected by a feeling of shame.
as sist'ing, helping; aiding.
as sure', tell truly; make sure or certain.
at tempt', try; make an effort.
at ten'tion, care; notice.
av'e nues., broad streets; openings.
a wait'ed, waited for.
a ware', informed.
awk'ward, clumsy; ungraceful.
ay, yes.

B

bade, said.
ban'dit, robber.
ban'ner, flag.
base, lower part.
bid'ding, command; order.
bil'lows. large waves.
bon'ny, handsome; beautiful.
bor'row, to receive from another with the intention of returning.
bore, carried.
bor'ders, edges; outer parts.
braced, took a firm stand.
braid'ed, woven or twined together.
brick, a body made of clay and water and hardened by fire.
bri'er, a prickly plant or shrub.
brig, a vessel with two masts, square-rigged.
brill'iant, splendid; shining.
brim'ming, full; nearly overflowing.
bris'tling, standing erect.
bul'let, small ball of lead.
bur'den, that which is carried.
but'ter fly, a winged insect of many colors.

C

cack'ling, sharp and broken in sounds.
ca nals', water-courses made by man.
ca'per ing, playing; dancing.
capped, covered over at the top.
cap tiv'ity, state of being a prisoner.
car'go, burden; load.
cas'ters, rollers or small wheels.
ceil'ing, the upper surface of a room.
cen'ter, the middle point of any thing.
cen'ti pedes, a kind of insect having a great number of feet.
cent'u ry, one hundred years.
chan'nel, the regular course of a river.
cheat'ed, taken unfair advantage of; robbed.
chose, wished; desired.
cin'ders, small pieces of coal or wood partly burned.
cir'cu lar, round; shaped like a circle.
cli'mate, state or condition of the air as regards heat, cold, and moisture.
clink, sharp ringing sound.
clum'sy, awkward; ungraceful.
clus'ter, number of things of the same kind growing together.
cock'roach es, insects with long, flattish bodies.
cof'fins, cases in which dead bodies are placed.
coin, piece of stamped metal used for money.
col'umn, a dark cloud of regular shape; a shaft of stone.
com mand'ed, had charge of; ordered.
com plaint', expression of anger.
com plete', entire; perfect.
con clude', make up one's mind.
con'duct, manner of action.
con fined', kept within limits.
con nect'ed, joined.
con'quered, subdued; overcome.
con'quest, act of taking by force.
con sid'er a bly, in a manner worthy of notice.
con sid'er ing, thinking; regarding.
con'stant ly, all the time.
con'tact, touching; meeting.
con tained', held.
con'ti nent, a great extent of land unbroken by water.
con tin'u ally, all the time.
con verse', talk.
cour' age, boldness.
cow'ard, one who lacks courage.
crack'ling, sharp noises.
creek, a small river or brook; a bay.
crew (kru), the sailors who man a ship.
croak'ing, making a hoarse noise.
crook'ed, not straight.
crop, what grows in a season.
cured, made well.
cu ri os'i ty, eager desire to find out something.
cur'rent, motion of a river.
cus'tom, way of acting; habit.
cut'ter, small boat used by ships of war.

D

dames, women.
debt, that which is owed.
de'cent, fit; suitable.
de clare', say with firmness.
deed, act; that which is done.
de fence', protection.
dense, thick; close.
de scrip'tion, an account.
de sert'ed, left; given up.
de struc'tion, ruin.
de ter'mine, decided; resolved.
di'et, what is eaten or drunk.
di rect'ly, instantly; immediately.
dis ap point'ed, grieved; filled with regret.
dis as'ters, unfortunate events.
dis ease', illness; sickness.
dis hon'est, not honest; faithless.
dis miss' ing, putting or sending away.
dis o beyed', went contrary to orders.
dis pose', sell; part with.
dis re gard', lose sight of.
dis'trict, part of a country; region.
di vide', separate into equal shares or parts.
dome, very high and broad roof.
drag, pull; draw.
drays, kinds of carts.
dread'ful, full of terror.
drift, borne along by the current of a river.
driz'zling, falling in very small drops.
drowned, deprived of life by water.
duck'ing, plunging into water.

E

earth'quake, a shaking or trembling of the earth.
ech'oes, is heard.
ef fects', results.
ef'fort (furt), struggle; attempt.
em brace', clasp; grasp.
em'pire, the country of an emperor.
en'e my, one who hates another.
en gaged', occupied; taken.
en'gines, machines used for applying force.
en raged', made very angry.
en tire', whole.
ere, before.
er'rand, short journeys on business.
ex am'ple, a pattern; a copy.
ex'cel lent (ek), very good.
ex cep'tion, that which is left out or omitted.
ex cite'ment, intense feeling.
ex cla ma'tion, a cry; that which is cried out.
ex'er cise, bodily exertion.
ex hi bi'tion, show; display.
ex pla na'tion, that which makes clear.
ex ten'sive ly, widely; largely.
ex'tra, more than usual.

F

fac'to ries, places where things are made.
fare well', good-by.
fa'vors, kind acts.
fear'less ly, without fear.
feast, a joyous meal.
feat, a difficult act.
fee'ble, weak; sickly.
fer'ry, a place to cross a river.
fig'ured, ornamented with marks.
file, a row of soldiers ranged behind one another.
flanks, the fleshy parts of the sides of animals.
flee, to run away.
flood, great flow of water.
flour, ground wheat.
flu'id, water, or any liquid.
foot'men, male servants.
for ma'tions, things of certain shape or form.
for'tress, a fort; a castle.
fort'une, chance; luck.
frol'ic some, merry; playful.
fu'el, material for fire.

G

gal'lop, a rapid movement, as of horses.
gar'ret, the upper room of a house.
gems, precious stones.
gen'eral ly, usually; commonly.
gleam'ing, shining brightly.
glee, joy; happiness.
glim'mer, a faint light.
glis'ten ing, sparkling; shining.
globe, the earth; a round body.
glo'ri ous, grand; splendid.
glos'sy, smooth; shining.
gor'ges, narrow passages.
gos'sip, foolish talk.
gov'ern ment, the power that controls a people.
grand, large; imposing.
grum'bled, complained; found fault with.
guard, that which protects.
guests, visitors.
gur'gling, flowing in a noisy current.

H

hatch, the cover for an opening in a vessel's deck.
heath, a meadow; cheerless tract of country.
hedg'es, thickets of bushes.
hemmed, shut in; surrounded.
hence forth', hereafter.
he'ro, a brave man.
high'way, a public road.
hint, something intended to give notice.
hitched, tied; fastened.
hith'er, in this direction.
hogs'head, a large cask.
hoot'ing, crying; shouting.
hor'ri ble, dreadful; terrible.
howl'ing, crying like a dog or wolf.
hub'bub, a great noise; uproar.
husk, the outside covering of certain fruits.
hust'le, shake; push roughly.

I

i de'a, thought.
ill'-nat ured, cross; bad-tempered.
im ag'ine, think; consider.
im me'di ate ly, without delay.
im pos'si ble, not possible.
in de pend'ence, the state of being free.
in for ma'tion, news; knowledge.
in formed', told; gave notice of.
in hab'i tants, persons living in a place.
in'jured, hurt; harmed.
in'stant ly, at once; without loss of time.
in tent', eager; anxious.
in vi ta'tions, requests for one's company.
is'sue, come forth; flow out.

J

jag'ged, having sharp points.
jew'els (ju'els), precious stones.
jin'gling, giving forth fine, sharp sounds.

K

kern'el, the eatable part of a nut; a little grain or corn.

L

la'bor, work; toil.
lapse, passing away.
las'sie, a young girl; a lass.
lat'ter, last-named; nearer.
launched, put into the water.
laws, rules of action.
leath'er, the skins of animals prepared for use.
ledge, shelf of rocks.
lee'ward, that part toward which the wind blows.
leop'ard, a large animal of the cat kind.
lest, for fear that.
lev'el, smooth and flat; of equal height.
lin'ing, inside covering.
lint, linen scraped into a soft substance.
liq'uid, any fluid, like water.
lisp'ing ly, with a lisp.
liv'er y, a peculiar dress.
load'stone, a kind of magnetic ore.
loft'y, very high.
low'ered, let down.
lub'ber, a heavy, clumsy fellow.
luck'y, fortunate; meeting with good success.
lum'ber, timber sawed or split for use; boards.

M

main'ly, mostly; chiefly.
mam'moth, of great size.
man'aged, controlled; brought to do one's wishes.
mane, the long hair on a horse's neck.
man'tel, a narrow shelf over a fire-place, with its support.
mar'gin, edge; border.
mark'et, a place where things are sold.
mark'ings, marks; stamped places.
mean'time, during the interval; meanwhile.
mel'low ing, ripening; growing soft.
melt'ed, changed to a liquid form by the action of heat.
mem'o ry, the power of recalling past events.
mer'chants, those who buy goods to sell again.
mil'i ta ry, belonging to soldiers, to arms, or to war.
mis'er y, great unhappiness; extreme pain.
mod'ern, of recent date; belonging to the present time.
mon'ster, something of unusual size, shape, or quality.
mon'u ments, those things which stand to remind us of the past.
mound, a small hill, natural or artificial.
mo'tion, movement; change of position.
must'y, spoiled by age; of a sour smell.

N

neigh'bor, a person who lives near one.
nerved, strengthened; supplied with force.
night'-mare, an unpleasant sensation during sleep.
nim'bly, actively; in a nimble manner.

O

o be'di ence, willingness to submit to commands.
o bliged', forced; compelled.
oc'cu pied, taken possession of; employed.
of'fi cer, one who holds an office.
off'ing, a part of the sea at a distance from the shore.
om'ni bus es, large, four-wheeled carriages.
on'ion (un'yun), a root much used for food.
out'posts, advanced stations, as of an army.
o ver come', affected; overpowered by force.

P

pace, rate of movement.
pal'ace, a splendid dwelling, as of a king.
par take', share; take part in.
patch, small piece of any thing, as of ground.
paus'es, short stops; rests.
pave'ments, coverings for streets, of stone or solid materials.
peb'bles, small, roundish stones, worn by the action of water.
per cus'sion, requiring to be struck; the act of striking.
per'fume, scent or odor of sweet-smelling substances.
pe'ri od, portion of time; an interval.
per'ished, died; were destroyed.
per mis'sion, the act of allowing; consent.
pic'nick ing, having an outdoor party.
pier, a landing-place for vessels.
pierce, force a way into or through an object.
pil'lars, columns; huge masses.
pin'cers, jaws; pinchers.
pit'e ous, fitted to excite pity; sorrowful.
pit'falls, pits slightly covered for concealment.
plan ta'tions, farms of great extent.
plots, small pieces of ground, as garden plots.
plucked, pulled out or off.
plunged, dove; fell.
po'et, a maker of verses.
pol'ished, made bright and smooth by rubbing.
po lite', obliging; pleasant in manner.
por'tion, a part; that which is divided off.
prat'tling, childish; talking like a child.
preach'ing, speaking in public upon a religious subject.
pres'ent ly, soon; in a short time.
prey, any thing taken by force from an enemy.
pri'vate, not publicly known; peculiar to one's self.
pro ces'sion, regular movement, as of soldiers.
prod'ucts, fruits; that which is brought forth.
proved, turned out; showed the truth of.
pro vid'ed, furnished; supplied with necessary articles.
puff'ing, swelling with air; blowing in short, sudden whiffs.
pure, clear; free from other matter.

Q

quilt'ed, stitched together with some soft substance between.
quo ta'tions, portions of writings.

R

range, reach, as of a gun.
ranks, regular rows or lines, as of soldiers.
ray, light; a line of light or heat proceeding from a certain point.
read'i ly, without trouble or difficulty; easily.
reap, gather by cutting, as a harvest.
re call'ing, thinking of; bringing back to mind.
re con sid'er, think of again; change one's mind.
rec'ords, stories; descriptions of events.
re gard'ed, considered; looked at earnestly.
re late', tell.
re lig'ious, relating to religion.
re main'der, the rest; what is left.
re mind', call attention to for a second time.
re moved', moved away; took off.
rent'ed, gave possession of for pay.
re paired', mended.
re placed', put in place of another.
rep re sent', picture; tell about in an effective manner.
re quire', need; demand.
re sist', stand against; oppose with force.
re spect', regard.
re tire', withdraw; turn back.
re volv'er, a fire-arm with several chambers or barrels.
rid, free.
ridg'es, a long range of hills; steep places.
ri'fle, a gun having the inside of the barrel grooved.
rind, the outside coat, as of fruit.
risk, danger; peril.
riv'u let, a small river or brook.
rob'ber, one who commits a robbery.
ro man'tic, strange and interesting, as a romantic story.
rouse, awake; excite.
ru'in, that change of any thing which destroys it.
rust'y, covered with rust on account of long disuse.

S

sake, purpose; reason.
sap, the juice of plants.
sat'in, a glossy cloth made of silk.
scene, picture; view.
schol'ars, men of learning; those who attend school.
scorch'ing, burning slightly; affecting by heat.
scoured, made clean and bright.
scram'bled, moved with difficulty.
scum, that which rises to the surface; worthless matter.
se'ri ous, severe; sad in appearance.
serv'ice, duty, as of a soldier.
se vere', violent; hard.
shab'by, worn to rags; poor in appearance.
shag'gy, rough.
shal'lows, places where the water is not deep.
shat'tered, broken; broken at once into many pieces.
sheath, a covering for a sword.
shep'herd, one who has the care of sheep.
shield, a broad piece of armor carried on the arm.
shock, a sudden striking against.
shriek, a sharp, shrill cry on account of surprise or pain.
siege, a closing in on all sides of a fortified place.
sighs, stifled groans; long breaths.
skein, a number of threads of silk or yarn.
skel'e ton, bony frame-work of the body.
skull, the bony case which encloses the brain.
sleet, frozen mist.
slopes, declines by degrees.
slum'ber, sleep.
sly'ness, cunning; artfulness.
smites, strikes, as with a weapon.
snort'ing, forcing the air through the nose with a loud noise.
soaked, moistened throughout.
soar, fly high.
sought (sawt),tried; went in search of.
spared, saved from death or punishment.
splut'ter ing, boiling noisily; speaking hastily.
spout, run out with force.
sprained, injured by straining.
spurred, urged; encouraged.
stale, not new; not fresh.
stee'ples, high towers ending in a point.
stern, hind part of a boat.
stock, supply on hand.
stout, large; broad.
strain'ing, exerting to the utmost.
strict, severe; exact.
stub'by, short and thick.
sub'stan ces, bodies; matters.
suc ceed'ed, obtained the object desired.
suf'fered, felt pain.
sul'try, very hot; burning.
sup port', prop; pillar.
sus pect'ed, thought; considered quite probable.
sus pi'cious, indicating fear; inclined to suspect.

T

tab'let, a flat piece of stone.
tac'tics, disciplined movements.
tem'per, way of acting.
tem'ple, a place for worship.
ten'drils, tender branches of plants.
ter'ri fied, filled with fear.
ter'ri to ry, a large tract of land.
ter'ror, fear; dread.
thieves persons who steal.
thirst, strong desire for drink.
thith'er, to that place.
thorns, woody points on some trees and shrubs.
thor'ough, complete; perfect.
thread'bare, worn out.
thrives, prospers; flourishes.
till'er, the bar used to turn the rudder of a boat.
ti'tle, a name.
tor'rid, violently hot.
trace, mark; appearance.
tract, a region.
treb'les, the higher parts in music.
trick'led, flowed in drops.
trop'ic al, belonging to the tropics.
tuft, a cluster or bunch.
tun'nels, passages; openings.
twinge, a sudden, sharp pain.
twink'ling, a quick movement.
twit'ter ing, a trembling noise.

U

uncom'forta ble, causing uneasiness; not pleasant.
un der neath', below; beneath.
un der take', attempt.
un ea'si ness, want of ease.
un grate'ful, not thankful.
u nit'ed, joined; combined.
un man'ly, not worthy of a man.
un ru'ly, not submissive.
un scarred', not marked.
urg'ing, encouraging.
ut'most, to the furthest point.

V

val'u a ble, of great value.
vel'vet, a soft material woven from silk.
ver'min, little animals or insects.
vic'tims, persons destroyed in pursuit of an object.
vic'tor, one who conquers.
vi'o lence, force; power.
virt'u ous, inclined to do right.

W

wa'ges, what is paid for services.
wa'ter break (breakwater), that which breaks the force of water.
weap'on,any thing to be used against an enemy.
whence, from which or what place.
whiff, a quick puff of air.
whith'er, to what place.
wig, a covering for the head, made of hair.
wine, a liquor made from grapes.
wits, powers of the mind.
wrig'gled, moved or twisted.
wrung, distressed; twisted about.

Y

yawns, opens wide.
youth'ful, young; belonging to early life.