The Watsons Go to Birmingham-

1963Vocabulary chapter 1-4

Emulate (verb)O Word used in a

sentence:O Kenny tries to

emulate his favorite athletes by practicing every day.

O What I think it means:

emulateOTo match or surpass

hostileOWord used in a

sentence:OAfrican

American students who went to segregated schools face hostile environments.

O What I think it means:

hostileOunfriendly

incapableOWord used in

a sentence:ODaniel was

incapable of bench pressing 75 pounds.

O What I think it means:

incapable

OUnable to do

Juvenile delinquentOWord used in a

sentence:OBuphead has

been a juvenile delinquent longer than Byron.

O What I think it means:

Juvenile delinquentOA young

person who commits criminal acts

miraculousOWord used in

a sentence:OSteven

surviving the car crash was nothing short of miraculous.

O What I think it means:

miraculousOOccurring through divine or supernatural intervention

pomadeOWord used in

a sentence: OByron and

Buphead used pomade to make a conk hairstyle.

O What I think it means:

pomadeOA scented oil applied to the hair

punctualOWord used in

a sentence:OWe had to

fire Sergio because he was not punctual.

O What I think it means:

punctual

OOn time

skimpyOWord used in

a sentence:OIt is not a

good idea to wear skimpy clothing to church.

O What I think it means:

skimpy

OShort and revealing

vitalOWord used in a sentence:

OPassing this test is vital to your future.

O What I think it means:

vitalOAbsolutely necessary or important

zombieOWord used in a

sentence: I feel like a zombie today because I didn’t sleep well last night.

O What I think it means:

zombieOA soulless corpse said to be revived by witchcraft

OChapters 5-8

ConscienceOWord used in a

sentence:O I had a guilty

conscience after I kicked my little brother.

O What I think it means:

ConscienceOAn inner

feeling or voice that guides rightness or wrongness of one’s actions

CussOWord used in

a sentence:OIt is not

polite to cuss when you are at school or church.

O What I think it means:

CussOTo use a swear word

DispersalOWord used in a

sentence:OAfter the

school bell rang, the children were ready for dispersal.

O What I think it means:

DispersalOThe process of spreading things or people over a wide area

HaphazardO Word used in a

sentence:O The books on Mr.

A’s bookshelf are always haphazard because his students are too lazy to put them away correctly.

O What I think it means:

HaphazardOLacking organization

InterpretationsOWord used in

a sentence:OThat poem

has different interpretations.

O What I think it means:

InterpretationsOAn explanation

JiveOWord used in a

sentence:OAfter all of the

president’s promises, his talk turned out to be nothing but jive.

O What I think it means:

JiveO Worthless

PeonOWord used in a

sentence:ODaniel doesn’t

have any major responsibilities; he is merely a peon.

O What I think it means:

PeonO A person who

does minor jobs

PinnacleOWord used in

a sentence:ODo you think

Miley Cyrus is at the pinnacle of her career?

O What I think it means:

PinnacleOThe most

successful point

SeniorityOWord used in

a sentence:OHe got the

promotion based only on seniority.

O What I think it means:

SeniorityOA person who is a number of years older than someone else

TraitorOWord used in a sentence:

OThe traitor sold secrets to the enemy.

O What I think it means:

TraitorOA person who betrays a friend, country, or principle