Vocabulary - Chapter One
acres (n.): An acre is an area of land equal to 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet. For comparison, a football field is 45,000 square feet, so one acre is a little smaller than a football field.
anguished (adj.): anguish is a feeling of great physical or mental pain. The look on Lennie's face would show the mental pain he feels at the thought of George leaving him.
bank (n.): the part of land that meets a body of water
bindle (n.): a small bundle of items rolled up inside a blanket and carried over the shoulder or on the back; a bedroll. See a picture of a man carrying a bindle.
brusquely (adv.): quickly; bluntly; abruptly; almost rudely
bucking (v.): To buck in this instance is to throw large bags of grain on a truck. Barley is poured into large burlap bags (75 or more pounds) and passed brigade-style (in a line) to the truck.
carp (n.): a freshwater fish. See some pictures of carp.
cat house (n.): whore house; house of prostitution
contemplated (v.) To contemplate something is to think about it. Lennie is thinking about running away.
'coons (n.): raccoons. See one in this picture.
current (n.): the strong flow of water in a definite direction
debris (n.): remains. In this case, the "debris of the winter's flooding" would be drops of water falling from the leaves of the tree.
elaborate (adj.): expressed in great detail
flats (n.): level, flat ground
heron (n.): a wading bird (that is, a bird that is often found wading in the water, usually in a search for food) with a long neck, beak, and legs. See some pictures of heron.
junctures (n.): A juncture is where two things come together. The juncture of a willow leaf is where the two sides of the leaf meet in the center.
morosely (adv.): in a sad, gloomy manner
mottled (adj.): having a variety of hues or colors; variegated,
like marble
periscope (n.): a device that, through a series of mirrors and prisms, allows one to view something not directly in the line of sight. Periscopes are used on submarines to allow the sailors to see above the waterline.
rabbit hutch (n.): A type of cage for keeping rabbits.
recumbent (adj.): still; without movement
reeds (n.): tall grass with hollow stems, often found in or near water. See a picture of some water reeds.
single file (n.): a line of people, animals, or things moving one after the other. Instead of walking side by side, George and Lennie walk in single file; George first, then Lennie behind him.
stake (n.): an amount of money
stilted (adj.): In the instance, stilted refers to the legs of the heron which are very long and thin, like stilts.
sycamores (n.): a type of shade tree with leaves resembling the leaves of a maple tree. See a picture of a sycamore tree.
thrashin' machines (n): Thrashing machines, sometimes called threshers or threshing machines, are used on farms to separate the grain or seed from the straw of such plants as barley or wheat. See some pictures of threshing machines.
tramps (n.): In this case, a tramp is a person who travels about on foot, usually doing odd jobs for a living (To "tramp" means to travel on foot).
unslung (v.): removed; took off
wearily (adv.): tired; in a tired way
willows (n.): a type of tree with narrow leaves and strong, flexible twigs and branches. See a picture of willows.
