Johnny Tremain Vocabulary Cards

(n.): person learning a trade or art, especially one bound by a legal agreement to work for an employer for a certain length of time in return for instruction and maintenance, but little or no pay.These boys were luckier than most apprentices.

(adj.): living off of another life form, not self-sustaining.Whatever a 'pig-of-a-louse' was, it did describe the whitish, flaccid, parasitic Dove.

(adj.): slightly salty.The water they drank tasted rather brackish.

(n.): container in which metals, ores, etc. can be melted.Johnny took the cracked crucible, in his trusting hands, put in its silver ingots, set it on top of the furnace.

(adj.): having or showing reverence for God; religious.He knew Mrs. Lapham did not take much stock in her father-in-law's pious ways.

(adj.): raised in relief by hammering on the reverse side of thin metal.He began to repousse on the thin piece of metal.

(n.): a soft, moist mass of mustard, herbs, etc. applied to the body as a medicine.Mrs. Lapham had plunged the burned hand into a panful of flour and was yelling at Madge to hurry with her bread poultice.

(adj.): unable to read and write; showing a lack of education.She didn't have much of an education, and was illiterate.

(adj.): disliking work; lazy; idle.He didn't do much, and was very indolent.

(adj.): lacking in self-confidence, shy.She rarely talked and was diffident.

(v.): calm or soothe; make less intense; make easier or milder.She was very upset, and he tried to assuage her.

(n.): cool unconcern; indifferent.The boy walked into the house with nonchalance.

(n.): an image or statue usually of a person; images burned or hanged to show dislike or contempt.They created an effigy of the king.

(adj.): like a riddle, baffling, puzzling.The current situation was enigmatic.

Fictional characters set against the backdrop of an actual time, event, period. Actual people may be used as characters, though dialogue and actions may be interpretation or creation of the author. Historic events are closely linked to the plot and influence the actions of the characters.